Julia LoVan blog (Simplicity.Compassion.Beauty.)

New New York wedding photo shoot

2011-12-22T10:11:00.000-08:00

I had the honor to be a part of Mike Colon's styled wedding photo shoot again in New York. See my ruffled wedding dress, below, on Merci New York's blog. They make me look good. Bride also wearing jewelry from 31 Bits, whom I met at a show in Orange County a few years ago. Love their jewelry, and for a great cause.

See more of the photos here on Merci New York's site.

Bright orange fall purse

2011-11-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

I had some credits over at JustFab.com so I decided to use it up and get this fun bright bright orange faux aka "vegan" leather purse with chunky hardware and a fun boxy shape. I despise dull colors in fall/winter, so this will certainly enliven everyone's lives! Fashion to winter's rescue!

I'm not a big believer in having a jillion purses, but I can change this out with my one other purse I use regularly, and knowing Just Fab, it holds up quite well.

From Justfab.com

New article on Julia LoVan Designs

2011-11-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

Check out the new article on Julia LoVan Designs clothing in DSM Magazine either online or pick up a copy.

Dress on model: Julia LoVan Designs cotton red-print one-shoulder cocktail dress
Blue belt, pearl & gem cluster ring: MintLA boutique
Earrings: Bare Root Designs

The dress is not for sale, but other items may be purchased at Vitae Design Collective in the East Village as well as other locations soon.

click to read more at dsmmagazine.com

Apple Orchard Outing

2011-10-29T16:59:00.000-07:00

Today was the day we finally visited an apple orchard, like I had talked about here. I had been inspired by my friend's recent Payless commercial where they played around an apple orchard in cute fall boots! We, thankfully but just barely, caught the tail end of the pumpkin season. We started off the morning by devouring an apple streusel coffee crumb cake that I made this morning from this recipe, and scrambled eggs for our gluten-free person. The coffee cake was so simple but incredibly delicious. Then, off to the orchard! The orchard I chose was Wills Family Orchard in Adel because of its organic commitment. Once there, we walked the sorghum maze, found Cinderella's pumpkin, drank some hot cider, ate caramel apples, bought some homegrown apples at their store, met the resident chickens, walked the orchard, played some cornhole, then headed home to finish off the crumb cake and discuss literacy in America, depression in Seattle, and Brangelina. Make sure to mark on your calendar their Apple Pumpkin Fest for 2012!

their serious pose

scarecrow Jim was actually quite friendly

this shoot is entitled "Beauty in a barren pumpkin land"

happy pumpkin time!

We found it!

the orchard

it's a fake apple to keep the pests at bay

manly and rugged: the next Hugo Boss ad?

cornhole

see ya later!

Today's great find: do-it-yourself Lanvin belt

2011-10-27T09:33:00.000-07:00

I subscribe to Who What Wear's daily fashion newsletter, and I love their DIY piece today on creating your own Lanvin belt.. that is, if you don't have $600 lying around to buy your own Lanvin. This is a great accessory to give a facelift to your wardrobe, especially for holiday parties. Many times you can easily find vintage sequin patches at a secondhand store as well.
Click photo below to get to the directions:

MATERIALS

-Double Faced Satin Ribbon (approximately 2 ¾ inch wide)

-Sequin patches

-Fabric Glue

-Scissors

-1 yard of Black Felt

DIRECTIONS

1. Before cutting the ribbon, measure your natural waist-where the belt should hit-then add 12 inches to that number. (For example, if your waist is 25" around, you'll need 37" of ribbon. The extra inches will allow you to tie the belt around your waist.) Once you have the correct number, cut a piece of double satin ribbon to that length. Set ribbon aside.

2. Now it's time to make the glitzy part of the belt! Place the yard of black felt in front of you, then arrange the sequin patches to create a design you like. PS: it's okay if they overlap.

3. Once you are happy with how you've placed the patches, apply fabric glue to the back of each one and adhere to the felt. Hold in place for a few seconds to help set.

4. After your sequin patches are dry, it's time to trim the felt! Snip any extra felt around the outside edges of the sequin patches; the goal is to give it a clean and finished edge.

5. Once you have cut out the sequin design, attach it to the center of the ribbon using a generous amount of the fabric glue. PS: A glue gun also works as well.

Homemade waffle brunch

2011-10-19T12:27:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday my friend hosted a homemade waffle brunch so of course I was all in, and volunteered my cooking skills to the domestic event. 7:30am found us heading in the cold cold fall midwest chill to the downtown farmer's market. I got chemical-free strawberries for the waffles as well as numerous other goodies like bok choy, organic potatoes and garlic, and learned about the Grinnell CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture). I'm going to try a little experiment and see if I can actually grow a potato and not kill it.
After the market we headed home to start cooking, and whipped up tons of waffles in Kate's iron, and I worked on cooking the bacon and whipping up the whipped cream (and added a bit of pure vanilla extract to it- thanks Dawn A. for introducing me to this!). See below how we made the homemade butter. I loved the fun early morning exploring the market since it's only the 2nd time I've been (!) and great conversations with stellar people.
Next friend event: coffee cake breakfast then an apple orchard! This outing was inspired by a commercial my beautiful friend was in, which made me want to buy boots and hang out at an apple orchard with cozy sweater and fall hat.

lovely farmer's market flowers and lovely friend

what's a brunch without real bacon, and lots of it. This is the reason I can't go full-on vegetarian...

new friends, new babies, and a brisk autumn backyard brunch

All homemade! Even the whipped cream, whipped by yours truly

homemade pumpkin scones. The toddler loved these strawberries, even reaching over and grabbing the last one off my plate. =D

Put a couple of marbles in a jar with some whipping cream, guests can shake it a few times when they arrive, and 5-10 minutes later, voila! Butter.

Kate et le beurre

Creative woodsy photo shoot

2011-10-11T09:30:00.000-07:00

This is one of the most creative photos shoots I've seen in a while, at Kinfolk Magazine. There's also a fun video they shot. Check it out:

DIY fringe jersey scarf a la Fluxus

2011-09-19T05:15:00.000-07:00

I know these were sold out at one point at Fluxus. This is something I'll be adding to my fall wardrobe. I'll probably be maxing out my budget for fall clothes, so I will make this, which is interchangeable from outfit to outfit. I found a wordy tutorial for it on Youtube here and will make it in a light pastel color since I'm rebelling against winter's ubiquitous blah colors, and I'll be able to layer this light color with lots of different colors and outfits. I will pick up a faint pink/blush jersey fabric this week to make this.

outfitidentifier.com

What I'll Wear with My Missoni Flats

2011-09-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

I've been so busy that I didn't even realize the Missoni for Target collection was already in stores. I was standing there both stunned and paralyzed with excitement, when a store associate came up to me to share in my joy with me, and also told me about their 5% off everything debit card... sign me up!
Here are the items I picked up, but will purchase later: a silk zigzag scarf, the black suede heels, and the pink zigzag cardigan in a girl's size XL. What I did purchase the next day since I had a discount, was the flats, and the multicolor and also black and white mugs. While I was trying on the Missoni heels, I noticed the amazing selection of booties and boots they had, and almost almost foregoed purchasing the flats.
Champion cold-weather boots are clunky with a bright pattern, a fun alternative to my Minnetonka Ugg-type boots. These will definitely have to make it into my style repertoire. I was also imagining myself walking, biking, window-shopping in these comfortable girls- and why not? They are temporarily on sale for $20. I was, again, stunned at Target's selection of fashionable boots, including Frye boot lookalikes and riding boots. But keeping with living simply, I'm assessing what I'll actually wear and what will last the longest. The Missoni flats I know are a definite great buy! (see below)

Missoni flats by julialovan featuring butterfly earrings

WHO S WHO sleeveless vest
€259 - jades24.com

Citizens of humanity
€229 - jades24.com

Versace leather hobo shoulder bag
$1,795 - net-a-porter.com

Daisy Knights butterfly earrings
£98 - net-a-porter.com

Bringing hope to sexually exploited women and children in Thailand...
$35 - nightlightinternational.com

How to wear JLD's colorblock skirt

2011-09-15T08:44:00.001-07:00

Check out this spread created by Rosemary52 for Fashion's Night Out, on how to wear our colorblock skirt, available at our online shop.

Portraits Of A Lady by rosemary52 featuring a green skirt

Magaschoni crop top
$260 - searlenyc.com

Green skirt
$30 - julialovan.bigcartel.com

Shoes
$159 - rachelroy.com

Suede bag
$375 - dvf.com

Jewelry
$175 - kararossny.com

CO OP Barneys New York thin belt
$95 - barneys.com

Lancome Hypnose Drama Waterproof Mascara
$25 - neimanmarcus.com

NARS Galion Nail Polish
$17 - narscosmetics.com

NARS Abbey Road Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner
$23 - narscosmetics.com

Lancôme Limited Edition Yayoi Kusama For Juicy Tubes

$15 - lordandtaylor.com

First giveaway winner

2011-09-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Emily House of Des Moines, Iowa for winning the first giveaway: a pair of Bonobos trousers! The next giveaways ending soon can be found here. Also, take a look at the article in honor of Fashion's Night Out, on Lindy Leiser, production associate at Bonobos menswear.

Spotlight on Zandra Rhodes: the pink-haired design legend

2011-09-08T21:49:00.000-07:00

Zandra Rhodes is featured as part of the Fashion’s Night Out: Midwest series.

I remember my interview at Zandra Rhodes Enterprises in London- I took forever deciding what to wear. My final choice was brown with cream and pink plaid trousers with my mother’s gold belt loosely slung around my hips, a white blouse, “trainers,” and my hair half-up in 2 buns on the top of my head (I had to look presentable yet inspiring, I deduced.)

Some of the moments I'm remember now from my internship is having tea 2-3 times a day. I remember there being just loads of tea in the little kitchen, but that's where we would commune and chitchat for a couple of minutes before going back to work. I remember helping the other interns put mangoes and other swag into the gift bags for the BBC party at The Fashion & Textile Museum... and then coming back later and crashing the party. I remember one of the interns had on leggings, leg warmers, an off-the-shoulder slashed t-shirt, and a black Prada fanny pack- just so chic- and I felt like I was dressed like a 10 year old with my Abercrombie jeans and t-shirt.

Completing the textile internship program at Zandra Rhodes several years ago was one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. I was able to learn from the best textile designers in the world, create my own textiles, model a caftan at an Andrew Logan/Zandra private showing, and experience working in the magnificent city that is London. Zandra has since then always inspired my clothing choices and my design work. As stated at the end of her interview, Zandra Rhodes and the Fashion and Textile Museum are still taking interns, as well as designers. I highly recommend any designer take a serious look into it. (I see studio flats just outside of London are just £160/week...) Here is an exclusive interview and photos straight from the headquarters itself, with Zandra Rhodes:

What is Zandra Rhodes Enterprises currently busy with?

Zandra Rhodes Enterprises have just launched a fabulous new line of Costume Jewellery. This collection includes huge black beads and gold Zandra Rhodes wiggles and a charm necklace as well as brooches modelled on historical motifs Zandra created in the 1980’s.

What is your inspiration for the S/S 2012 collection?

A kaleidoscope of colour and motifs cascading together.

Who have you dressed lately?

Princess Michael of Kent had 2 wonderful new pieces for Princess Anne’s daughters wedding.

What did those garments look like?

Boho chic – lace neck, points and white feathers on the tips.

I read once that Zandra Rhodes tunics are one of Mary-Kate Olsen’s favorite pieces…

I always see fabulous pictures of both the Olsen girls in my historical dresses. They have several each.

I remember you being very hard-working, and you are obviously quite successful. What is your work philosophy?

I do work very hard, because I feel everything must be personal and individual and this is hard work to ensure this personal touch stays.

The Fashion & Textile Museum currently showcases young designer goods in the store. If a designer outside of the UK wanted to submit their designs, could they?

The FTM is open to all who apply to sell their goods.

Are you still taking textile interns should someone who reads this article be interested in interning?

I still take interns and they enjoy this experience although it is hard work, but it reveals to them both the joy of textile design and that it is hard work.

To see Zandra Rhodes’ designs and see more of what she’s been up to, visit http://www.zandrarhodes.com/home.html

“Zandra Rhodes contributed to the fashion world like all those who have a radically personal vision connected to codes and trends, or current tastes, those who innovate and bring the kind of oxygen we need.” –Christian Lacroix

Here's a little (grainy) slideshow of photos from my London scrapbook:

Fashion's Night Out Giveaways: Earrings, bow ties, trousers

2011-09-08T17:26:00.000-07:00

Here are photos of the giveaways which starts tonight and goes until September 20. Here's how to win:

Julia LoVan Designs focuses on womenswear, but we love men's accessories, so we thought, why not make a few? These bowties will be available at our online store starting tonight, and one lucky winner will be receiving their choice of black, pink, or purple. 2 pieces of jewelry from Bare Root Designs will also be given away.

To win a bowtie or the 2nd pair of Bonobos trousers, do 1 of the following starting tonight (Fashion's Night Out):

1) "Like" our Facebook page. If you've already done that in the past,

2) Write a Facebook status mentioning and tagging Julia LoVan Designs' page, OR

3) Tweet a message mentioning @JuliaLoVan in your message. Fashionable and/or insightful tweets preferred.

To win a piece of jewelry, do 1 of the following starting tonight:

1) "Like" Bare Root Designs' Facebook page. If you've already done that in the past,

2) Write a Facebook status mentioning and tagging Bare Root Designs' page.

All relevant entries will be entered into the giveaway drawing. Winner will be announced after Sept. 20, 2011. Contest starts 6pm eastern Sept. 8, 2011 and ends Sept. 20, 2011 midnight. Prizes are not exchangeable. Winners outside of the United States pay $6-20 shipping. Each winner may only receive one prize.

Black silk dupioni adjustable bowtie, ties in front.

View #2

pink and black adjustable silky bowtie

Purple and white adjustable silky bowtie

Pinwheel silver drop earrings by Bare Root Designs in Des Moines, Iowa

Green-blue leaf drop earrings by Bare Root Designs

Happy Fashion's Night Out: Midwest Edition

2011-09-08T16:17:00.000-07:00

Happy

Last year I had the happy fortune to be in Los Angeles and take part in the Fashion's Night Out festivities. This year, I'm in the midwest, and Julia LoVan Designs ' online store is an official part of Fashion's Night Out... midwest style.

What is Fashion's Night Out, you ask? Well, they'll say it better than I could, but it's basically a night created by American Vogue et al. to stimulate the economy and this industry. This year JLD is joining in the fun:

I hope this gets you all excited for JLD's trunk show October 7 in the East Village at Vitae Design. New and past designs as well as vintage leather accessories to complete your outfit: for men and women. Appetizers and drinks.
Enter discount code FNO30 for 30% off your entire order when you purchase at least $20 worth of goods. at our store. (New items up tonight)
Exclusive interviews of British designer Zandra Rhodes, British photographer Nick Reynolds, feature of a midwest teen fashionista
New items in the store
A giveaway of a pair of Bonobos trousers ending tonight.
2 Bare Root Designs earring giveaways ending on September 20 midnight, and starting tonight.
Another pair of Bonobos trousers starting tonight and ending September 20 midnight.
A Julia LoVan men's accessory adjustable bowtie starting tonight and ending September 20 midnight.
Read the other features on Candi Matthias/Guess? handbags, and Lindy Leiser/Bonobos menswear

Thanks for joining in the fun!

Bonobos men's trouser giveaway!

2011-09-08T11:43:00.000-07:00

*update: The first trouser winner gets their choice of either a size 35 grey pant, or a 32x32 green pant. Julia LoVan Designs will do a free alteration as well.

Julia LoVan Designs and Bonobos menswear is giving away one pair of Bonobos pants in size 36, this week in honor of Fashion's Night Out.

Do 1 of the following by the end of Fashion's Night Out (11pm central time) to win:

1. "Like" our Facebook page. If you've already done that in the past,

2) Write a Facebook status mentioning and tagging Julia LoVan Designs' page, OR

3) Tweet a message mentioning @JuliaLoVan in your message. Fashionable and/or insightful tweets preferred.

All relevant entries will be entered into the giveaway drawing. Winner will be announced within one week's time. Contest starts 12am Sept. 6, 2011. Trousers are not exchangeable. Winners outside of the United States pay $8-20 shipping.

The giveaway trousers are slightly darker than this.

Size 35 grey trouser. The giveaway trouser is similar to this style.

Bonobos menswear

Spotlight on: Candi Matthias, from the farm to The Principal to Guess? handbags

2011-09-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

Candi is featured as part of our Fashion's Night Out series with exclusive features and giveaways. On Sept. 8, 6-11pm on Fashion's Night Out, Julia LoVan Designs will be giving away men's and women's apparel and accessories. Check back this week for more.

Click to read more at www.examiner.com

Spotlight on a Midwest-to-East-Coast Fashion Designer

2011-09-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

Video interview of Katie Behnke, founder of Elegantees (t-shirts with a cause) in New York, and a Dubuque, Iowa native, in honor of Fashion's Night Out:

Katie Behnke interview, continued:

How do you like New York?

I love New York. I moved here in 2005. I like it a lot. I love the energy, I love the people, the culture, but I do miss Iowa and just some of those nicer things that you can appreciate, such as family and having a backyard. Gorgeous fresh air and organic fresh fruit out of your garden.

What are your favorite places to go in NYC to get inspired?

I love to go into the city. It can be anywhere: downtown, uptown, midtown. Just walking around, being in Central Park, up in the Cloisters or coming down here to check out some stores and browsing through the merchandise that is available and saying wow that's a really cool detail, I'm going to incorporate that into some of my tees. So, I usually get inspired when my mind is kind of cleared from from the business management part of [my company], otherwise I'm thinking too much about numbers and thinking about planning- you can't really get too creative that way. You have to unload all of that part before you can get things going.

What does the typical day look for you with your company?

It's always different, and at first I thought that was really fun, I actually wish it was more the same, so that there'd be more consistency. It's a whole process for every single collection, from designing it to making the patterns to making the samples to working with the factories to planning the photo shoot, to making revisions to the website to update it so that people can purchase the clothing. We've been doing a lot of fashion shows and events these days, back in Iowa and here in New York. It's a lot of planning and customer service as well because we sell online so we deal with a lot of people there. Every day is fairly different.

How do you remain cool and collected when working in this fast-paced industry?

Sometimes you just have to try to work with people where they are, try to find out what their personality and work habits are... if they're a more serious person or more laid-back. Somtimes you just have to have that discernment and feel people out. If they seem to have motives that are more for themselves, I just back away from them. I like to work with people that just genuinely have a good heart and they want to help- not that they don't have motives too- but I just like working with people that are genuinely cool, like Lindy.

Shop Elegantees

What to wear with a colorblock skirt?

2011-08-31T09:51:00.000-07:00

Here is one fashionista's take on what to wear with Julia LoVan's colorblock skirt:

Fashion's Night Out by sodabubbles featuring silver earrings

Splendid jersey shirt
$57 - net-a-porter.com

Hollister Co cami shirt
hollisterco.com

D G double breasted wool coat
£745 - net-a-porter.com

Black skirt
$30 - julialovan.bigcartel.com

Jessica Simpson platform high heels
$90 - heels.com

Yves Saint Laurent leather handbag
$1,495 - ssense.com

Kate Spade engraved bracelet
$32 - piperlime.gap.com

Lucky Brand silver earrings
$35 - zappos.com

Cheap Monday scarve
€25 - weekday.com

Anthropologie's inspiration

2011-08-25T22:10:00.000-07:00

I love this video of how the designers at Anthropologie specifically get their inspiration for this season, travelling to Japan to get prints and colors for their colorful-minded customer.

Homemade caprese sandwiches, homemade frappuccinos, and vintage finds!

2011-08-07T16:48:00.000-07:00

Creativity
This weekend was a creative one.
First of all, my borderline hipster college friend made a last-minute visit to my city last night. I'd say that calls for some caprese sandwiches! We made these sandwiches from my basil on the back patio and tomatoes from the neighbor. We sat amongst my blossoming garden and chatted while the wind picked up and lightning started to strike. Scary!

Then this morning I made homemade frappuccinos for us from this blog I found online, and I also used coffee I bought from Freedom For Youth, roasted right here in Des Moines, IA. Soooooo good.
I didn't put xanthan gum in it since I didn't have any, and I didn't care if it separated or not. One thing I would do differently is, after you make the coffee, put the milk in the coffee so that it cools down, then pour that on top of the ice so that your frappuccino remains slush-y. Also, don't fill your blender more than 3/4 of the way full. To make it healthier, I would use a raw sugar, agave syrup, or honey. I also added a dash of pure vanilla extract since I didn't have any flavoring, and it tasted pretty darn good. I was impressed. I think I'll go out and buy some of those reusable Starbucks frappuccino cups so that I can fool myself into thinking I went out and splurged on a fancy drink. I had poured the Julia's Homemade Frappuccinos into some reusable drink cups since my friend had to go pick up her hubby and I was off to la iglesia. Hey, it works!

After a yummy lunch with a new friend, fabric-buying, picking up my outsourced men's accessories, and almost joining a picket/protest, I happened upon a yard sale where I bought some vintage leather accessories, a vintage bicycle light(!), vintage stools for my living room which I'm going to re-upholster, and a vintage Seventeen magazine from 1966! I was in fashion inspiration heaven. See hilarious ads below:

March 1966 edition of Seventeen magazine

"Sandlers turn everybody on!" Haha dorky.

It's a good thing I saw this so I know who to buy my next girdle from.

This dress was just so pretty. Love it!

A few new summer pieces, and Store Update

2011-07-29T12:30:00.000-07:00

We have a few new summer pieces that will be for sale at Vitae as well as online. We're still in the beginning stages of having pieces available online in all sizes as we transition. This will include:

1. womenswear
2. vintage accessories
3. men's accessories and some menswear/unisex

It will all be ready September 8, as we are an official part of Fashion's Night Out (put on by Vogue, CFDA, and NYC) which is Sept 8, 6pm-11pm. We'll be having special limited-time sales on our e-commerce site from 6-11pm central time, fashion giveaways, and exclusive interviews.

We're also finishing a complete fall collection. We're planning a fall fashion show to present these pieces (colorful shift dresses, neutral structured dresses, men's accessories...), so stay tuned!

Some summer prints and bright colors inspiration

2011-07-23T14:11:00.000-07:00

Julia LoVan designs was featured in this fun summer colors and prints Etsy treasury

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/Njk0NjE5OXw0MDU4NjYzMzE/summer-lovin

Julia LoVan online store is up!

2011-07-18T23:13:00.000-07:00

It's up. It's here. The moment you've all been waiting for! Julia LoVan Designs' store is officially open for business. The store will carry mainly women's contemporary apparel that is locally sewn right here in the midwest, as well as some men's and vintage items. Our goal was to make fun pieces that could be easily styled and accessorized to fit the different hats in life, which is why we started with skirts in lively prints and colors. We also wanted to design classic silhouettes that won't go out of style quickly, in order to support one's sustainable lifestyle.
We'll also be working with the local community to create fair jobs in this industry, especially to at-risk young adults. Contact us if you're interested in learning more.

Bonus: For one month, new customers can enjoy a 20% discount on any purchase with coupon code NEWBIES20 -- today is your lucky day!

Shipping is at a $5 flat rate. Retailers contact us for wholesale pricing.

Click here to start shopping!

New summer photo shoot

2011-07-16T15:05:00.000-07:00

Fashion
Here's a photo shoot with some of Julia LoVan apparel at Vitae Design Collective. See the whole shoot at Vitae's blog.

green silk chiffon tunic- SOLD

Free Polaroids

2011-07-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

Creativity
For sanity and simplicity's sake, I don't have an iPhone but I do like the Hipstamatic prints that people are using left and right. I happened upon this great website called Polaroin that turns your photos into Polaroids, for free no less! I know it's nothing new, but it's new to me.
You can do a blue, red, or green tint, border, a vignette option, and an option to write on your photo. They also have a Hi-Res option, for $1 per photo. It's not the fastest image-maker, and you can't edit it once you've "polarized" it, you just have to start from square one.
Here's an example of a photo I turned into a Polaroid- Me with the talented Isabelle of Costella and Donola on Melrose.
There are a few Polaroid image-makers out there. Here's another one where you download the free application and drag and drop your pictures into it. (Update: I just downloaded this and tried it- It's amazing. You can take a snapshot of the photo as it develops. So, if you want the photo in a more sepia tone, take a snapshot of it before it fully develops. Genius. Then it automatically saves to your computer. One of the things you can't do that Polaroin can do is write on the photo.)

How to find meaning in your work

2011-07-11T08:03:00.000-07:00

I found this video from Break and Transform interviewing Josh and Kyle Bundra of t-shirt company Joshua Clothing on how they injected meaning into their 9-5.

Summer style inspiration: Doina Ciobanu

2011-07-08T09:16:00.000-07:00

I love Doina Ciobanu's style! See it here on Who What Wear's site:

From Who What Wear

Searching for real lemonade and soul-grabbing art at the Des Moines Art Festival

2011-07-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

Creativity

I went to the Des Moines Art Festival on June 26 to maybe catch some inspiration from art and craft created from around the globe. I was inspired, but didn't see any investments I'd like to make to add to my collection (at least not this time around). I did, however, want to leave with something in my hands and a contribution to the community event, so I bought some lemonade. Little did I know until I was up next that the lemonade was made from concentrate, and the lime flavor was a syrup, all for $6 (!). But it was too late! Iowa may know corn, but I have yet to taste an exemplary glass of fresh-squeezed lemonade. Do I need to venture out to Santa Monica to Hot Dog on a Stick?

On to the vendors: The organic-form jewelry of Serena Kojimoto of Los Angeles, CA caught my eye. As I talked to her I found out I've passed her studio in Echo Park/Atwater Village a million times. Beautiful beautiful craftsmanship and design.

The greatest inspiration I found while there was the student tent! I heard somebody say "Some of this stuff is as good as the stuff we're seeing out there." Which isn't a slight against older and more established artists, but young students have the advantage of approaching art with a carefree, unstudied innocence, as well as not having the pressure to display art for the consumer. Here are some of my favorites:

A painting inspired by a postcard their friend sent them from Africa. I love the happy dog in the middle. =)

So simple and serene

This looks like the painting of one happy child.

unique monster

lizards have hearts and stars on them, in their world anyway

a youngin's version of a Transformer

Iowa history: American Gothic

New midwest boutique owner gives insight on working in the fashion industry

2011-06-28T05:44:00.000-07:00

Kierra Genovia/JLD photos

Rebekah Risbeck is the owner of the new downtown women’s boutique, MintL.A., which launched over a month ago via rooftop party at the AP Lofts. After winning AP Lofts’ live-work competition, Risbeck, 26, moved here from Los Angeles to bring her fashion market expertise to Des Moines’ sartorial customers.

MintL.A. carries the latest trends as well as basic pieces at prices only someone who is well-connected in the fashion market could find. Pieces range from $10 to $75, with summer rompers priced around $25.

Risbeck offers valuable insight and advice about working in the global fashion industry in this exclusive interview.

What was your experience like working in LA's fashion industry?

I've been fortunate to work for both small startups and large corporations. I held roles from Director of Product Development to Senior Buyer and Stylist. They are complete opposite roles. In Product Development I would take a designers’ idea and create a tangible object. Everything from sourcing materials to working with patternmakers and factories. It allowed me to travel from NYC to China and was very exciting. As a buyer I had to stay abreast of trends and predict what direction the market was going. You have to take calculated risks but the fun part was going to tradeshows in Las Vegas and NYC, and going to Market in LA.

What gets you excited about your day and going to work?

I love where I’m at right now in my career. I love

Continue reading on Examiner.com Los Angeles transplant gives insight on working in the fashion industry - Des Moines Fashion Trends | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/fashion-trends-in-des-moines/mintl-a-fashionable-new-business-downtown-des-moines#ixzz1QZZF3qZt

My Homemade Baby Shower Gifts

2011-06-25T18:23:00.000-07:00

On Creativity
Yesterday I made a baby fleece wrap and a bunny bib for a friend's baby shower today. They kind of took forever to make, moreso the wrap, but if I made it again I would change some things to make it a lot quicker. The wrap was made with ultra-cuddle fleece, and the bib was made with some fabric I had. The wrap isn't a towel, but just something warm to put the baby in on chilly outings. See previous blog post for pattern.
I wanted to make a onesie to go with it, but there was no time. I did already purchase the fabric for it, though, so there will be a onesie made eventually. These three together would have made the perfect homemade baby shower gift, but no matter. I added something else baby-cutesy for the perfect trio.

On Fashion
Check out the cutest girl wearing one of my silk dresses on her blog here. It's a tunic dress, but she played with it, accessorizing with a thick black belt and tights.

from simplyjudybligh.blogspot.com

From Poverty to Fashion Billionaire
I loved this video on the BBC News - China's billionaires: Madame Zhou Xiaoguang - http://bbc.in/lc2Ueihttp://bbc.in/lc2Uei What a great story of perseverance amidst poverty, and bringing jobs to her impoverished city. Madame Zhou- you are my hero!

Princess Diana exhibit and DIY baby gifts

2011-06-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

On Fashion

I just learned that the Princess Diana of Wales exhibit was in Kansas City, and I just missed it. It is a sad day indeed. On a happier note...

On Creativity

A few of my friends will be having or have already had some babies, so I thought it would be special to sew something with cute and/or ultra-cuddly fabric that I picked out. I'll be using Simplicity pattern 2291 to make a onesie, animal bib, and fleece wrap blanket with ears. I'll use my serger, so it will be super simple and quick. In the future, I'm going to take it back old-school and try my hand at sock monkies. (Update: Here are photos of the babystuffs here!)

What should you do this summer? Have brunch!

2011-06-11T11:46:00.000-07:00

I love weekend brunches. I took a quick food break from sewing to make myself some french toast from the homemade bread I made a couple of days ago. What would make this brunch even better? Friends!

Naomi Campbell compared to a chocolate bar?

2011-05-31T21:13:00.000-07:00

I read a little bit about supermodel Naomi Campbell's beef with British Cadbury because they compared her to their chocolate. I am confused, however, why everyone's in an uproar, as the ad I saw clearly didn't say anything about her skin color, only that she's a diva. Which, in my opinion, is still not a nice thing to call someone if they don't want to be called thus.
If you want another of my opinions, I love Naomi's work, and I have always been in love with British Cadbury, well ever since my first taste in 2002. I hope they make nice and make up.

from iluluonline.com

Whimsical wedding shoot in New York Central Park

2011-05-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

I just happened upon another bridal photo shoot of Mike Colon's, assisted by Katherine Harris, shot in New York. It is so whimsical- make sure to check out the feathered dress with the ballet flats. You WILL love. I must must say, I had a hand in making this happen as I introduced one of the models to them!

Here is one set of photos.
Here is another set, with my fave shots of the feathered dress!

Mike Colon photography

Julia LoVan 2011 lookbook

2011-05-24T17:57:00.000-07:00

The 2011 look book is finally here. Feel free to download.

Open publication - Free publishing - More apparel

A Stylish and Green wedding

2011-05-10T19:33:00.000-07:00

Fashion

Since Borders is going out of business, everything is 70% off or more. I went to get Salt in His Shoes the Michael Jordan children's book, which of course they didn't have because you can't go into Borders at this point expecting to find what you need... and I came out with the Valentino documentary dvd (an amazing documentary) for $9.00!!! and the book The Natural Wedding: Ideas and Inspirations for a Stylish and Green Celebration by Louise Moon for $10!!! So far the book is amazing, and I'll bet my friend Crystal is kicking herself for not finding the book for $10 first!

If you've never read Salt in His Shoes or My Name is Not Isabella, those are must-reads for any kid or adult. I'll be reading Salt in His Shoes to some high school at-risk youth and do reading comprehension.

Colorful handmade goods- Sari Bari

2011-05-09T10:19:00.000-07:00

Fashion

www.Saribari.com

I found a new company online through Word Made Flesh called Sari Bari. They sell home decor, baby goods, and accessories.

"Sari Bari makes and sells beautiful, handmade, vintage sari products but it’s more than that. The heart of Sari Bari is its women—survivors of Kolkata’s red light areas who have taken brave steps into new life, freedom and hope.

Each Sari Bari product is marked with the name of the woman who made it and with your purchase you become a part of her freedom story.

Consumers: If you'll be purchasing any of these goods anyway, why not purchase something that directly benefits the hands that made it? Shop now.

Creativity

self.com

I'm making these! Gwyneth Paltrow's recipe for fudgy and slightly healthy brownies! Thanks, Self.com. =)

An impressive high school fashion show at Central Campus

2011-05-07T07:35:00.000-07:00

I attended The Fashion Show at Central Campus high school yesterday morning and have some photos to share with you! I was overall impressed by the work that went into producing this entire annual fashion show, especially with the young talent making all of the creations we see here. I certainly did not know how to sew like this at that age!

I had some concerns about how mature 30% of the garments were though, with the exposure of a lot of skin, midriffs, and cleavage at so young of an age. Rest assured I included the more age-appropriate apparel below. Enjoy.

So Banana Republic

Classy and cute!

A draped dress: impressive!

Julia LoVan writeup for Vitae

2011-05-05T07:47:00.000-07:00

Read our writeup on Vitae's website. Read the full article here.

I always cry at royal weddings

2011-04-30T09:08:00.000-07:00

Since I've been so busy with life lately, I have hardly had time to read up on the royal wedding, but I couldn't escape the buzz heard all around me in the days leading up to it. And when I thought about it, it is like a real life fairy tale- how romantic. Although, they were already living together beforehand, so it's not like a real Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty story.

Anyhoo, I've been watching clips of the royal wedding on the BBC and one of my favorite moments was when Prince Harry turned around to peek at Catherine coming down the aisle, and whispered to Prince William with a smile, "Wait 'til you see what's coming."

Zimbio.com

WHAT a sight to behold! One commentator stated that she looked like a Grecian goddess, and I have to agree. I was skeptical at first when I saw from far off that she had left her hair down, but it was perfect with the demi chignon holding the Cartier tiara up, and the soft rolling waves coming down around her shoulders.

I wondered who had done her makeup, as she just looked so stunning- it was the Duchess herself! (after receiving a tutorial from makeup artist Arabella Preston.)
The wedding dress, created by Sara Burton of Alexander McQueen, was said to have been quite similar to Princess Grace of Monaco's dress, of which I found a pattern for it here! I'm going to order it right now. The entire form of the dress was perfect and pleasing to the eye, with the light lace, sweetheart neckline dropping down to the teeny tiny waist, then expanding at the hips and extending and billowing out to full skirt then the almost 9 foot train. The skirt is similar to the one I made for my friend Crystal, although of course, much more voluminous.
This is such a classic dress with exquisite detail, especially with the lace. The flowers that were on the lace were the shamrock, rose, thistle, and daffodil, which represented the national flowers of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Lace-making is a dying art, and I remember when I lived in London, my school coordinator had told us she had taken a lace-making class. So, when we were visiting Bath, England, we walked into a shop and she had noticed that the lace-making contraption that was on display at the front of the store was messed with. She was fixing it by taking out the pins and replacing them when the store owner came up to the front to see what she was doing. When she realized she was in actuality fixing it, not ruining it, they happily talked about the beauty of lace-making.

I am personally a huge fan of sweetheart necklines, and I love that this dress had the sweetheart, but was covered up and modest with the beautiful lace.

I also loved Prince William and Prince Harry's uniforms. Prince William in Irish Guards red, as he was just appointed Colonel of the Irish guard. Prince Harry also looked very regal and statuesque in his gold brocade uniform of the Blues and Royals.

Creative storytelling

2011-04-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

Creativity and Paris!
As I was re-creating this game with story cubes for youth to use at the detention center, my little cousins wondered what I was doing, then wanted to join in the fun. You basically pick 9 images out of the bag, then have to make a story out of it, usually taking 10 minutes or however long you want. I wanted to share the stories here because it has the most fashionable city Paris in it, and I placed a fashionable and educated young woman in each of my stories. Since I'm also a sucker for literacy, this is a great way to get kids interested in reading and writing! You should try it with your children. This game can be purchased anywhere, one type is called Rory's Story Cubes.

The first 9 images had: Eiffel tower, doctor, worried face, foot, happy face, sleeping, cell phone, college, family.

My story: Once upon a time in a land far, far away called Paris, France, there was a single man named Jacque Pierre Louis-Dreyfus. He lived all alone in his Paris flat and spent most of his time working as a physician in the Paris Baguette Children's Hospital. He was a young and brilliant foot doctor, or podiatrist.

One day, as he lay asleep, he got a phone call on his mobile, to come in to the hospital for an emergency foot issue. When he arrived at Paris Baguette Children's Hospital, the nurses said that the patient was waiting for him in room 22. He grabbed the patient clipboard and when he walked in, his heart leapt into his throat. There sat the most beautiful young woman he had ever beheld. She was slender with dark, shiny hair, rosy cheeks, and when she saw him, she smiled. She was an American studying in Paris for a year, and had collapsed, seemingly from a foot issue. After Dr. Jacque Pierre Louis-Dreyfus fixed her up, they fell in love, started a family, and lived happily ever after. THE END

Both times I said I was done writing my stories, both of my cousins dropped whatever they were doing and ran over to hear the story, listening with animated faces. I love it!

The images we picked out of the bag

My 2nd story based on painting, foot, tent, book, cell phone, college, Eiffel Tower, worried face, clock: Once upon a time in a barren land called Iowa, there was an art student named Bob Smithenhosen studying to be "the greatest artist that ever lived!" Because there was little opportunity to study the great painters that had lived and died generations before Bob Smithenhosen, he decided to do a semester study abroad program in Europe. As he planned, he wondered what city in Europe he would live in for a semester. Because he wanted to experience not just Picasso, Van Gogh, da Vinci, Cassatt, but also romance, he chose Paris- the city of love.

As Bob Smithenhosen studied and painted and learned and ate croissants, time passed very quickly- as did his money. He had to sell his cell phone, his Vespa moped, and had to sleep in a tent in the park.

One day, as he was walking in the Champs Elysees in order to sketch some architecture, he noticed a black leather book laying on the ground. He picked it up and realized it was someone's journal. He looked around, then gingerly opened the worn, cracked cover. On the inside was a name, "Julia Cousteau. If found, please return to 28 Rue de Soleil, Paris." Bob Smithenhosen did not have to think twice- he had to return this book to its rightful owner. He approached 28 Rue de Soleil and looked for the name - Julia Cousteau- on the apartment building index. Just then, the door started to open. Startled, Bob Smithenhosen stepped back and looked up. He had wanted to say, "Pardone moi, do you know..." but his words were caught in his throat as he was stunned at the young woman's beauty. Bob Smithenhosen stood with his mouth hanging open when the beautiful girl exclaimed in French, "My book! Where did you find it?!" She grabbed the book from Bob Smithenhosen and hugged him, thanking him profusely. "Would you like to get some croissants and coffee, on me?" she inquired of him. "Uh, eh, why yes. Sure that would be great. Oui. Oui. Thank you."

After that one fateful day, Bob Smithenhosen lived many many days happily painting his Julia Cousteau and they lived happily ever after. THE END

My 9 year old cousin's story based on the same images:
Once upon a time there was an ugly man named Fatso. Fatso had feet that was moldy and it had pimples and he lived in the Ifle Towr [Eiffel Tower] and he called the doctor. The doctor said you cannot be at the Eiffel Tower place so he went to Iowa and he slept in a tent and he was poor so he was sad so he began to read a book at 11:00 it was down a free art down East Avenue. He went down and he was such a good painter. They sold Fatso's picture everywhere and he got rich so he had enough money to go to college. THE END.

Our latest bridal photo shoot: WPPI Las Vegas edition

2011-04-16T07:39:00.000-07:00

Doesn't the dress look like a delicious cupcake? This is a re-worked vintage dress I made. The original had long sleeves and a high neck, with ruffles going up the front of the dress. The ruffles are so simple but make the dress what it is! Unfortunately it cannot currently be purchased anywhere, but perhaps this summer. Many many thanks to Mike Colon and his amazing team for once again putting together a beautiful shoot and allowing me to be a part of it.

Models: John and Kate Colosi

Gown: Julia Lovan Designs

Men’s Wardrobe: J.Crew

Make-up & Hair: Lindsey Shea

Major shout-out to our awesome sponsors: Pixel2Canvas, Lexar, Kelly Moore Bag; UNO by Lauren Clark, Millie Holloman, Leather Craftsmen, GoBEE Bags, Tamrac

Here are the photos on Mike Colon's website.

New spring dresses currently available downtown!

2011-04-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

These designs are currently available at Vitae Design Collective in Des Moines' East Village. Why shop at Target when you can get an original locally-made spring dress in a limited print?

Free and Fair elections in Congo

2011-04-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

Friends: Watch this video by Falling Whistles, and then think about signing the petition to help Congo achieve what they haven't been able to in a generation: a free and fair election. Then call 5 friends to spread the word.

Baking cakes and sewing baby stuff- I'm a regular Martha Stewart

2011-04-01T22:31:00.000-07:00

It was my little cousin's birthday today, so I asked my other little cousins if they wanted to bake him a cake for his birthday. Of course I had to pull out the 2-layer skillz. Yummy homemade buttercream frosting on lemon cake. All the girls helped!

wax paper strips helps keep it clean, then remove when done frosting. This is the first layer to keep the crumbs at bay. We had to let the cake cool down for 45 minutes, level it off with a serrated bread knife, then frost!

Sewing
I also have never sewn anything for babies or toddlers before. I saw this pattern and had to get it to make for my baby cousin Landon. He looks like a penguin, so we're going to iron a penguin on the front of the onesie, and instead of the bear bib, we'll make a penguin bib! This project is too much fun.

Victory for humanity- Target's dirty gold

2011-03-29T18:11:00.000-07:00

Responsible Fashion Consuming
What a great victory for children and humanity everywhere! But not only should Target stop selling this dirty gold, but consumers need to be aware of what they are purchasing. The farther you are removed to the source of your goods, the less likely you are to know its origin, and the less likely it is to be sustainably sourced. It is always good to live simply, reuse, or buy local.

Read the article below, or read the original Change.org article here.

Victory! Target Joins "No Dirty Gold" Campaign, Pledges to Offer Ethically-Sourced Jewelry

by Amanda Kloer · March 23, 2011

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After receiving letters from over 22,000 Change.org members, Target has signed Earthworks' “No Dirty Gold” campaign, which will help ensure the company sells gold jewelry mined under responsible conditions that respect the environment, human rights, and mining communities. The company's decision marks significant progress in the global fight against child labor, environmental destruction, and community damage that often accompanies large commercial mining. Bravo to Target, Earthworks, and the tens of thousands of advocates who supported this campaign.

For years, Earthworks has been fighting the environmental, human rights, and community impacts of dirty gold, including pollution, child labor and workers' rights abuses, and endangerment of communities and indigenous persons. The “No Dirty Gold Campaign” has helped major retailers including Tiffany and Co., JC Penny, and now Target maintain customer confidence by offering ethically-sourced gold jewelry.

Target's commitment to these critical issues means more customers will have access to gold jewelry produced under environmentally and worker-friendly conditions. And their agreement to independent verification of mining conditions means mines across the world will be held accountable to treat their workers and the earth with respect.

“Target’s commitment brings us one step closer to the day when gold and other precious metals are no longer tarnished by environmental harm or human rights abuses,” said Payal Sampat, International Campaign Director at EARTHWORKS. “The No Dirty Gold campaign applauds Target for this important decision. We are indebted to the thousands of Change.org members who have lent their voices to this effort. We now need your help to bring more jewelry and electronics retailers on board the campaign to end dirty gold mining and promote more responsible alternatives.”

Now, Earthworks and clean gold advocates are asking retail giant Costco to step up and sign on to the "No Dirty Gold" campaign. You can keep up the momentum in cleaning up the gold mining industry by asking Costco to follow the "Golden Rules" as well. Because if all major retailers like Target and Costco committed to working to offer responsible gold, we can end industry abuses for good. And that would be golden.

Photo credit: Patrick Hoesly

Amanda Kloer is a Change.org Editor and has been a full-time abolitionist in several capacities for seven years. Follow her on Twitter @endhumantraffic

My first Des Moines photo shoot

2011-03-27T22:32:00.000-07:00

Update: Here are some of the photos!
Here are some photos I snapped of my first photo shoot this afternoon in Des Moines, Iowa (the photos below are just on my digital point and shoot camera- The real photos will come in a couple of weeks). Words cannot express how impressed I was at the talent. I've been wanting to do menswear for some time now, and have wanted to punch out some cardigans as well. This is the month where dreams come true in the midwest.

Photographer: Garrett Cornelison website
Art Direction: Julia LoVan and Garrett Cornelison
Hair/makeup: Stevie Bosman of Salon TEC in Des Moines, Iowa
Models: Lucy Shay and John Solarz
Clothing: Yours truly
Styling: Yours truly
Craft service by Trader Joe's (yes we have one in Des Moines!)
Special thanks to 8/7 Central

The tunics and cardigans that we shot will be for sale at Vitae Design Collective in the East Village, starting at the end of this week. They will soon be up for sale on my online shop. Tunics sizes S-M-L. Men's cardigan sizes S-M-L-XL

On the cardigan: One evening, Ryan of the band The River Monks commissioned me to sew him a cardigan, so I noncommittally took the challenge. I searched ALL of the pattern books at JoAnn's Fabrics twice to find a men's cardigan pattern, but to no avail. I eventually found one on ebay! It was an old-school pattern with men with Miami Vice Tom Selleck mustaches. It's slouchy and grandpa, and I love the pattern. It was easy to follow and easy to sew. Everyone should sew their own cardigans!

Here is a short video of us at the shoot. The best part is the geese at the end:

First Fashion Photo Shoot in Iowa

2011-03-26T10:49:00.000-07:00

Today I am preparing for JLD's first fashion photo shoot in Iowa! It is the first if you don't include the one I styled, shot, and modeled myself.

We are heading to WaterWorks to do a nature scene, then to the center of the city to do an urban scene. It is harder to produce a photo shoot in a place that doesn't have a fashion industry like Los Angeles, though it seems I'll be working with some talented and capable people. We'll be shooting some of my new spring/summer clothing that I'll be selling online as well as in downtown Des Moines.

Stay tuned for photos!

Isabel Toledo shoes at Payless

2011-03-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

Amazingly talented designer Isabel Toledo designs a line of shoes for Payless. Here are some pairs that I love! So sassy and fresh.

Jeannie Mai interviews SkinGraft clothing

2011-03-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

Host of the Style Network's How Do I Look, Jeannie Mai, interviews Jonny Cota of insane clothing line SkinGraft (below). When I was in L.A. in December I ate at Rocket Pizza then walked across the street to finally peruse around the boutique/showroom of SkinGraft and try on some of their AMAZING jackets. We talked a bit to the SkinGrafters, and they brought out from the back something from their new collection to show us.
Their clothing is fantastically tailored with interesting detail all throughout- I'm a fan!

Hope in the City IV fashion show LA Fashion Week

2011-03-16T22:29:00.000-07:00

Alas, no I could not be there but here are some photos and a 60 second clip of Mosaic's beloved Hope in the City fashion show fundraiser as part of this week's Los Angeles fashion week. Video by Aaronsjogren.com

Inspirational Photography

2011-03-15T19:39:00.000-07:00

I was just remembering this photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt I shared with a friend about 8 years ago. I saw it in a book at the library. It is just the cutest thing and so inspirational. I liken these photos to the play I just saw in Chicago called Night and Her Stars where as a viewer I was led to ponder the effect of television on my life. I love that theatre can bring people to emote, and in the last photo, instead of gathering around an iPod touch, the children are reading actual print- a lost pasttime.

(All photos by Eisenstaedt)

Children at a Puppet Theatre, Paris 1963

Children at a Puppet Theatre, Paris 1963
version II

An American Block, 1943

Los Angeles itinerary

2011-03-02T08:12:00.000-08:00

Fashion

Today I will be:

1) going to the beach (in 50 degree weather yes I know this)

2) visiting my friends' new babies in Santa Monica- Friends who taught me about true fashion

3) going to my friend's new boutique Costella & Donella

Also, on an Oscar note, I was talking to someone in L.A. last night who went to the Oscars and said Colin Firth is every bit as handsome and tall in person as they say he is- I knew it!

Here are some good shots of the beautiful dresses I loved- How beautiful Cate Blanchett is any time, but she can for sure pull off this lovely architectural Givenchy dress.

Take a look at my finished dress

2011-02-19T20:47:00.000-08:00

Fashion
I had finished this dress about a month and a half ago. I haven't had time to make another one, as I am busy making wedding dresses in my spare time. (I know the lighting in these photos isn't great.)

Here is a link to the pattern. It is a Vogue Rachel Comey pattern, average difficulty, #V1209. Only 2 or 3 parts of it were difficult for me, but that was my own fault as they were basic sewing things that confused me for a moment. It is a wool blend fabric, lined, with side zip.

I love the peplum on this dress, and the feminine light purple color. I think this is so chic and vogue!

Creativity-food
My mom and grandma Em Ny had given me a pumpkin a month ago that I hadn't done anything to, so I thought it was about time to make pumpkin bread! If you've ever thought about baking or cooking with a pumpkin, it can be a daunting task, which is mainly why I didn't cut into it earlier. The trick is to cut it in half or quarters, put it flesh side down in an inch of water and bake it until soft so you can easily take the peel off.

Tomorrow I'll probably make this Martha Stewart pumpkin bread. Yum. Because there's a lot of pumpkin, I'll either 1) freeze pureed pumpkin or 2) make a pumpkin soup. (update: the pumpkin bread was superb! It made 2 loaves so I dropped one loaf off at my aunt and uncle's house at 4am before I left for D.C. flight last week. For the other loaf I spread half of it with cream cheese frosting and brought it to a Soup Night Des Moines meeting along with my Martha Stewart eggplant parmesan.)

Pumpkin bread (makes two 8.5″ × 4.5″ loaves)

3 cups A-P flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2.5 tsp ground cinnamon
.5 tsp nutmeg (I’ve been using fresh nutmeg for about a year now. If you have never tried it, you should.)
.25 tsp ground allspice
.25 tsp salt
2 cups canned pumpkin purée
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 2/3 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and coat your pans with butter. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, spices, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer (yay!) fitted with the paddle, combine the pumpkin and sugars. Mix until well combined, and then add the eggs and oil. Mix until incorporated, scraping down the sides as needed. With the mixer on low, add the flour in two batches, alternating with the buttermilk, and mix until just combined.

Bake for about an hour, rotating the pans halfway through. A cake tester should come out clean. Cool the pans on a rack for ten minutes, remove the loaves from the pans, and cool completely.

Seeking designers (from anywhere) for Los Angeles Film Festival

2011-02-19T17:08:00.000-08:00

This is open to everyone- even Iowans. This will be great for portfolio-building.

Hey friends,

Just wanted to let you know about an opportunity you or someone you know may be interested in.

This coming June 3^rd is the Mosaic LA film Festival Event: Journeys By Land and By Scene. I can guarantee you it will be nothing like any film festival you have attended or can imagine. One of the highlights is a runway show featuring various costumes used in a short film. If you would like to design a costume or mask and be considered to be a part of this event, please contact morgan@mosaic.org. Great chance to design something fantastical. J Flyer is attached.

If you are interested in being a part of this new, experimental adventure and may not be a costume designer or hesitant to create a mask, please contact me and I will most definitely plug you into something amazing!

Don’t forget, Hope in the City is just around the corner on March 14^th. Buy your tickets now to get a taste of what MOLAFF could be like. www.mosaic.org/hitc.

Looking forward to have you join me in this playground of creativity,

Tammy Borrero

Mosaic- L.A.

1539 E. Howard St.

McGavran Hall U-10

Pasadena, CA 91104

(626) 628-9645 office

(626) 296-7696 fax

(909) 553-9800 mobile

Feeling creative?

www.mosaicvisualarts.blogspot.com

www.mosaiclafilmfest.com

www.mosaic.org/hitc

Fashion designers in the country

2011-02-17T19:58:00.000-08:00

Did you know central Iowa is a breeding ground for great sewers and fashionpersons? I did not know this.

I love love love Anna Allen's utilitarian simplistic clothing. All pieces are made by her in central Iowa. It's like a cross between M. Night Shyamalan's movie The Village and the store Anthropologie.

Here are her sites- You should definitely check her out!

Shop Anna Allen

Anna Allen's look book

Fashion blog

Lifestyle blog

Anna Allen Look Book

See me in the window display

2011-02-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Stop by Vitae Design Collective in Des Moines' East Village to try on my upcycled jacket and other apparel, as well as fun unique accessories by other local designers. I have some new printed tunics for spring 2011 I'll be bringing in soon.

Slideshow of Mosaic Hope in the City fashion show 2010 last year

2011-02-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

Click here to see the slideshow from last year's Mosaic Hope in the City fashion show that was part of L.A. Fashion Week. This year's fashion show will be held at the Skirball in L.A. Get your tickets beforehand online, as it sold out last year!

Models posed in Julia LoVan apparel

Spring pics for 2011

2011-02-03T18:31:00.000-08:00

Stared endlessly at these great picks for spring 2011! The prints have got to put anyone in a good mood!

Featured on Etsy Treasury

2011-01-26T08:20:00.000-08:00

A dress of mine was featured on an Etsy treasury here called "Fresh Days." Also, some Julia LoVan tops, skirts, and dresses are now for sale in the East Village at Vitae Design Collective!

Spring's new prints at Anthropologie

2011-01-24T19:00:00.000-08:00

Anthropologie has amazing spring prints! See them on their online catalogue here. I also love their styling techniques.

from Anthropologie.com

Spring 2011 Apparel by Julia LoVan designs

2011-01-22T20:39:00.000-08:00

The first batch of spring 2011 pieces from Julia LoVan designs are up for sale next week at Vitae Design Collective in Des Moines, Iowa's East Village.

West coasters need not despair: You can also start picking up JLD apparel in Newport Beach in the near future.

A few select pieces will also be up for sale on Etsy.

All pieces are handmade by me, and some pieces are one-of-a-kind, so act quickly!

The pieces I am currently making throughout spring/summer 2011:
1. The repurposed full denim skirt. See how the stars wear it here.
2. Full skirts in fresh prints.
3. Tunic shirts and dresses in fresh prints, another spring 2011 trend.

All of these are must-haves for spring and summer!

A great baby shower idea- photo booth!

2011-01-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

Fashion friends!

A beautifully decorated cake

Perhaps the baby's name is Carlos?

This photographer and humanitarian Jess Koehler is always so hard working. She always has the greatest prints for sale on her website Curiosity Saved the Human.

A look into the life of one of the most creative eyes in the world- The Sartorialist

2011-01-21T20:14:00.000-08:00

I've loved The Sartorialist for so long- One of my most favorite sections on Vogue's website.

My new pattern book from JoAnn Fabrics!

2011-01-15T11:21:00.000-08:00

'Twas a Friday night last night and I went to JoAnn Fabrics with my 13 year old cousin and bought thread for my new serger and this amazing book!

only $12 on Amazon

I found this book before Christmas and drooled over it... and now it is mine! A lot of times you will have to change a commercial pattern to fit you, or will want to alter it according to the design in your head, so this book helps you do that. It also helps you design your own patterns using block patterns. This is like 3 pattern-making courses in one book! I love it already. I was the biggest sewing dork while the gals were sitting around drinking wine and chatting, I was sipping wine and analyzing darts and collars.

Teen Vogue February issue

2011-01-14T07:52:00.000-08:00

Check out the February Teen Vogue for the fun prints to wear this spring, and how to layer them- also congrats to my girl over at LAS Jewelry for getting one of their bracelets in one of the spreads!

Racist Elle Magazine Cover?

2011-01-11T15:17:00.000-08:00

Consider signing this petition asking Elle magazine to apologize- The petition argues that the magazine cover reinforces negative stereotypes.

Petitions by Change.org|Start a Petition »

Styling Tips:December

2010-12-29T21:56:00.000-08:00

I get this daily e-newsletter from Who What Wear, and love these styling tips they gave me for winterwear!: Styling Tips:December

Inspiration from Los Angeles to Iowa

2010-12-24T08:45:00.000-08:00

Creativity
We caught some men ice fishing on the pond. How serene and old-school and totally rad. This is keeping life simple.

More Creativity
Just a couple of photos from the baby shower I attended whilst in L.A. a few weeks ago:

I love this- not only did we get to personalize a onesie for our friend, but we got to put it on display.

Here is my onesie- I loved these little elephants so I thought- why not have a cute babe wearing it?

The host makes these adorable mobiles and banners, so she made this most creative freeform banner. You can check out her stuff online here and her blog here.

Monkey on a "Radio Flyer" with cymbals

One of many amazing ladies I got to catch up with at the soiree! This lil lady used to do Nordstrom window display merchandising and I am always inspired by her fun outfits.

Look at the AMAZING weather compared to the snow in Iowa.

The view of the mountains- on break at my conference.

Impromptu Photo Shoot
My old roommate was watering her little garden in her heels which I thought was so hilarious so I did a 30 second photoshoot before she dashed off to work.

Christmas Cookies

2010-12-24T08:12:00.000-08:00

Well we made the Christmas sugar cookies! (the ones I had posted the recipe on here.) If you want the secret frosting recipe you can message me because why keep cookie recipes secret?! And we'll be making more cookies this afternoon for the family Christmas party.

This plate is for my friend Kasey

And a heart because love was born into the world on Christmas day!

I also made a plate for my friends down at 8/7 Central screenprinting and web design:

A hipster cookie with snowmen

The Story of Charity: Water and Scott Harrison

2010-12-23T21:10:00.000-08:00

Justice and Creativity
I listened to the redeeming story of charity: water's Scott Harrison online the other day as I worked. Incredible. If I would've known Mosaic was inviting him to speak I would've stayed a little longer in L.A.! Listen here.

Creativity
My friend's parent's ceviche restaurant in Los Angeles just made L.A. Weekly's "10 Best Dishes of 2010" for their Bloody Clam Ceviche. I've had their regular ceviche, but had not had the pleasure of having the bloody clam ceviche- yet. Their ceviche was presented well and was really fresh. I love this place because it's a restaurant with friendly owners and great food right at Pico and Arlington- not in hipsterville, not in Larchmont, but in my old neighborhood. I dig it.
I also saw on the list Roy Choi of the Kogi truck (Korean taco truck) with his hot buttered kimchi bowl... I think I know the next 3 dishes I'll be having when I'm in L.A. in a month- these 2 dishes plus my regular double double from In-N-Out.

2 fashion inspiration videos

2010-12-17T20:39:00.000-08:00

2 inspiring fashion videos from Vogue:

Culture in Des Moines

2010-12-11T12:14:00.000-08:00

There's culture in Des Moines, Iowa.
Breaking is alive and well in Des Moines I guess! I came across this while looking for dance classes in the area. Love it.

There's a picture on Facebook of my uncle on the ground at the park in front of about 8 youth, trying to breakdance.

Today's Fashion Slave-trading information

2010-12-11T11:40:00.000-08:00

I almost feel bad for my relatives who have to put up with my subtle rants on living simply and buying fair trade. =) One of my 12-year old cousins said "Julia- I recycled today. I ate my cereal out of a plastic cup and plastic spoon and we were in the car getting ready to leave and I yelled 'Wait- can I recycle this?!' so I ran in here, washed off the cup and spoon, and recycled it." =D
Well, it's a start!

Today I was perusing the internet and here are some articles I came across:

Fashion
80%20 shoes
I was perusing Gilt Groupe's designer website this morning and was excited that 80%20 shoes were on there. Besides being some of the edgiest and creative shoes out there, they're also wearable and marketable. I had the pleasure of working with founder Ce Ce Chin during Los Angeles Market Week a few years ago. I like this article on her and 80%20.

from 80%20.com

Fair Trade and Slave-Free Fashion
Uniqlo
I wanted to get a cream blouse from Uniqlo, but I have always been wary of their labor practices, so I did some research. They are not slave-free, although the CSR Report says Uniqlo watches their partner factories closely and makes contract reviews with these factories when they receive low grades (rated A-E). In 2009 they did a monitoring of 99 partner factores. The results were this: "Although no factory received a grade of E as of the end of August 2009, the majority- 54 factories- were given a C grade, and 16 were given a D." Click here to read the report.

Here's my move: It is definitely hard to shop for certified fair-trade or guaranteed slave-free products, but it is a responsibility we all have to not turn a blind eye to something you know is happening. The best moves to make regarding fashion are buying (in no particular order):
1. Locally made
2. re-worked pieces
3. 2nd hand from Goodwill, Crossroads, Salvation Army, Buffalo Exchange, eBay, etc.
4. Guaranteed slave-free
5. Keep it simple, get creative, get a fashionable friend, and style your current wardrobe in a new fresh way without having to buy new pieces every season. I personally don't shop very often, but use magazines like Lucky to help me style my quality, classic pieces.

A Goods Resource
I wanted to relay to you the Department of Labor's List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor. They had released this long-awaited list after Change.org spearheaded the petition to release it to the public. Here also is Change.org's highlights of the 194-page document.

Photo credit: DOL.gov

"The most common goods which have significant incidence of forced and/or child labor are cotton, sugarcane, tobacco, coffee, rice, and cocoa in agriculture; bricks, garments, carpets, and footwear in manufacturing; and gold and coal in mined or quarried goods."- highlights from Change.org

I also saw bamboo on the list. This is in answer to someone's question they asked me last week: Bamboo may be a more sustainable product than most, but not if it's harvested by means of slave labor, and because it will most likely be shipped thousands of miles to the area of manufacturing, it increases greenhouse gas emissions. See more here

Speaking of bamboo, I just bought the below from Soma Intimates. It is made out of rayon made from bamboo. Super comfortable! I also made a new friend at the store- we talked for half an hour about global issues, including underwear made out of bamboo. =) I believe Soma Intimates is also a vertically-integrated company.

.

Slave trade, yes, in cosmetics. Your lipstick is not free from the slave trade. Read here

Social Justice in Des Moines, Iowa
The Body Shop lotions and soaps- I have been increasingly aware to not pick lotions, fruit drinks, goods with ingredients I know contribute to strife.
I like The Body Shop- I became sold on this company and their products when the manager at the mall raved about their eco-friendliness and social consciousness. They are against animal testing, you can bring in your old lotion containers to recycle and even get a free lotion if you bring in enough, they defend human rights, and support community trade. Click here to see their efforts. Additional article from Change.org. So if you must buy something, buy it here.

Artisan Tea in Des Moines, Iowa
I have had many stimulating conversations this week while sitting down with old and new friends over a cup of tea. And what better way to change the world than around a pot of fairly-traded leaves.
I visited Gong-Fu Tea in the East Village for the first time early this week. I made sure to ask if they had a fair-trade tea. The first girl didn't know what that meant, but thankfully the other associate knew and said that all of their teas were hand-picked by the owners from global artisans. I've tried the Moroccan Mint and Pina Colada white tea. Yum. The atmosphere of the store is also very serene... until I start laughing loudly which is always inevitable.
On a related note, Grounds for Change is 100% fair trade coffee.

I had a meeting recently where we discussed handing out a small thank-you present to our partners. I suggested getting a fair-trade looseleaf tea with compostable tea bag, but I don't think that was a cute enough idea. Well, I tried!

Socially conscious farmer's market
It's not enough that farmers in Des Moines, Iowa are providing fresh locally grown produce to area residents, but they are going a step further and donating unsold produce to local shelters, called Meals from the Market. The whole idea is genius, including the high schooler who is an integral part of it. Read here.

A new garment I made

2010-11-28T10:15:00.000-08:00

Fashion
I am 99% done with a re-worked light denim skirt made from an old dress. I asked my fashion-minded cousin if she wanted to see a project I was working on, and I showed her the "before" and she stared and stammered, "Is that..." I said oh, it's the "before."
So the "after" will come a little later. Trust me, it's super cute.
This project was inspired by Who What Wear's article on the full skirt trend.

before

My Black Friday Purchase: a classic military-style dress
My aunt had this dress in her hand at Younkers, except hers was cuter because she had small brass buttons on hers. I had to have it, as I had been looking for a military-style dress like this for 3 years, but the ones I had tried on didn't fit right so I guess I had given up my search. Yes, I bought a dress at Younker's and I love it. You would too if you got yours for 12 bucks like I did!
Well the point of posting this dress was to show the styling of a conservative-yet-cute outfit you can wear in the midwest with classic pieces. Classic pieces= sustainable because you can carry the pieces from season to season and layer with many things. Instead of wearing your ubiquitous jeans, tissue tee, and cardigan with ballet flats, you can put on a classic military-style dress in army green, khaki, or black, and layer it with a long-sleeved sweater. I have on here a grey Urban Outfitters sweater, lacey black tights I also got at the Black Friday sale, and my pink pointy-toed flats. I also wore my artisans' emerald-green wool chunky scarf and yellow gloves from a local boutique.
Yes, that is suburbia behind me in case you were wondering.

Creativity

I LOVE when people are creative! And I love opera. I wish young people would be more exposed to culture and the arts instead of 24/7 Youtube. Or... arts on youtube I guess is a good alternative. That's it- I'm bringing my cousins to a musical.

Trend Report:Full Skirts

2010-11-26T19:42:00.000-08:00

So last night on our Black Friday shopping excursion that began at 11:45pm and ended at 6am (and then began again at 12:30 again this afternoon), I was admiring the short ballerina tulle skirts that are out, and I considered getting one, wondering if I could style it enough where I wouldn't look like I was 15. I decided that wasn't an option, but then I happened upon Who What Wear's Trend Report:Full Skirts
I have some full skirts I made, but would love the one Keira Knightley's wearing made with some sort of netting. I think until tomorrow most of Hancock Fabrics' patterns are only 99cents each (Hancock and JoAnns has this sale often). I saw at least one full skirt pattern. I charge you to get it and make a full skirt! I bought a lightweight lilac wool and am making a Rachel Comey/ Vogue cocktail dress. Photos later!

From Who What Wear

The Morning Thanksgiving News

2010-11-25T10:27:00.000-08:00

Pre-Thanksgiving meal and pre-yoga workout I happened upon these fun things:

Sarah Palin and North Korea- I'm amused at this BBC writer, trying to be objective and professional.

Gwyneth Paltrow IS a triple threat. I didn't know there was a movie out, but she's pretty good as a singer. Gwyneth at the CMAs.

I made a Trader Joe's cranberry sauce with my L.A. farmer's market orange. It's YUM and was so easy to make, except it overflowed on my aunt's new 4-week old stove. Whups. It's my first time attempting a cranberry sauce, as I usually get the canned kind.

Fashion
Oh, I got my Christmas serger and garment steamer and they will be in full use starting tomorrow!

The fruit of the spirit is: self-control... and leverage?

2010-11-23T21:30:00.000-08:00

Hancock Fabrics is having a pre-Black Friday sale, so mi mama y yo are going to hit it up and get my Christmas present- a serger and a garment steamer!!!

She's going to teach me how to use the serger and yes, Jin, now I will be able to sew jersey and not have to outsource! I feel like Coco Chanel when she first discovered the bolts of jersey for women's ready-to-wear. There will be no stopping me now.

I am going to be the most sought-after designer at the fashion shows backstage, "Oh hey, so I heard you have a garment steamer..." I was already pretty popular when I just brought my iron to the Kress Hollywood show.

THIS is leverage my friends. Christmas isn't about gifts, but heck, if other people think it's about gifts, why not leverage that to build your capital, I ask you.

Let me also show you some restraint and self-control: Gilt Groupe's deal today is Invicta watches, and there is a men's rose gold watch with black leather strap for $89. I almost clicked "buy now" but I have goals. That one watch is like a whole shelf's worth of inventory.

A Day of Networking

2010-11-22T22:26:00.000-08:00

As I sit here writing, an orange from the Barnsdall Park farmer's market sits next to me, uneaten for several weeks. I can't bring myself to eat it, and I just realized why. It is a remembrance of carefree days spent in L.A. roaming about the farmer's market with friends, sampling samples, eating kebabs, discovering new and exciting produce to try, sunny days, and sometimes going back home to make a yummy meal with my culinary-ept roommate. Tomorrow I will eat the orange, and tomorrow I will move on.

L.A. orange

Networking

Diane von Furstenberg

Today I will tell you about my networking. I have come to find that some of my close friends enjoy watching me network. Well, unlike many many many things, networking comes naturally to me. This afternoon I quickly stopped by Des Moines' historic East Village to see if I could start hanging with the fashion coolies.

I stopped at Dornink and saw all of the amazing bridal and ready-to-wear garments they make there in the design studio. Then I stopped by Artisan's Jewelry Designs and tried on a men's titanium watch that was gorgeous, and told them about the amazing sustainable jewelry of Tiffany Kunz, which would go great in their store. Next, I went into Velvet Coat, which has an amazing layout and I was mind-boggled that they carried Diane von Furstenberg, Milly, David Kahn, Citizens of Humanity, etc. There was a black blouse on the sale rack that I may have to go back for... The sales associate told me about the live/work spaces just down the street, which is very Historic-Bank-District like in downtown L.A. (like where Rocket Pizza and Skingraft are). Hm, you don't say...

Next I walked across the street to Ephemera stationery store, but they were closed. Sad, because it looks so magical and happy inside! I'm going to have to make friends with them too.
Then off I went past Aimee's boutique which will have to wait until I have a little more time, but they were voted best small clothing store, or something of the sort.

Next I shouldn't have gone in as I was pressed for time, but I walked into Vitae Design Collective because of the great window display, and I drooled over the vintage boot selection they had. The pair I picked up were in my size! And come to find, they are a cooperative of local designers! I said, "I'M a local designer!" bada bing bada boom. Done.

Well then I saw Eight Seven Central and needed to see if they could make a screenprinting thingamajigger for me, so I go in, and the guy is super helpful, but I can't help but notice one of the guys sitting working, and I was pretty sure I knew who it was, so before I left I asked if it was who I thought it was, and he said affirmative, with a blank look on his face, so I said, "Mission Year!" and he said, "are you Julia?" Reunion hug! From waaaayyyy back Atlanta, but that story is for another time, if at all. But yes, I have a photographic memory for faces, but not for much else.

So anyhow, I have a day's worth of business cards, and a good foundation for what I'm going to be doing while here in Des Moines. And that my friends is my dorky style of networking. I hope you took notes.

A time of just getting inspired

2010-11-21T21:41:00.000-08:00

Fashion

This morning I thought i'd stop by GiltGroupe.com and check out the designer deals currently. I would love an Hermes Birkin bag like the vintage one that they have on there, except not in brown. Their deal price is $12,000.

But I would really like this Chanel black caviar overnighter purse (above.)

New Project
Yesterday I also started a little project that will become a big project, Lord-willing. The raw material I'm using is hilarious- You'll see the finished product in a few weeks or months. How this project came about was I was thinking/praying/brainstorming/envisioning/writing out a plan for the past 1.5 weeks and was getting frustrated that it was going to be pointless or take forever to pull off... but there is definitely blessing in patience, as then (again) I had a peace about my next step, which I love doing! It's very important to take daily steps towards your goals, otherwise you'll lose hope if you keep saying "I'm going to do this" and then never do it.

Inspiration
After checking out a new church where I met some fashion people (hooray!) and someone from Corona, CA (hooray!) I hopped on over to Des Moines' East Village to check out the shops everyone has been telling me I should be checking out. It reminded me of Larchmont Village in Los Angeles (hooray!) I loved the layout of the shop Raygun (formerly Smash boutique) although I'm not so much of a t-shirt wearer myself. There were some amazing wide-legged denim jeans I found there as well as this greeting card with a bunch of circles you can punch out yourself to make a design. I bought some linden flower/ shea butter French soap at Porch Light Antiques. No, my soap wasn't antique, but you can buy the loveliest antiques as well as Anthropologie-esque jewelry, aprons, dishes, etc. I was trying to buy local soap but I missed the Farmer's Market, so French soap sans packaging worked fine. I peeked into the window of Dornink, a couture shop and studio. I'm going to see if I can't hang out with them.

For Thanksgiving, I think I will be making these amazing sugar cookies I always make during the holidays. I need a fall-like cookie cutter. I got the cookie recipe from the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. Oh look! Well I'll be, I found the recipe. Click here. The frosting I use is an amazing sugar frosting I nabbed from Young Lifers. Read Sue's story below on how she got this cookie recipe. This is how I usually get my good recipes: from putting out my passionate-food-story feelers. Oh- I also won a contest unofficially with these cookies. I had a bake-off with the other leader at a youth holiday night, and though we never actually asked the kids who won, I overhead the kids say that mine was really good. =)

Cookie Critters

What Can I Bring?

Perfect for: Holiday parties.
Make and take: Bake, cool and pack in reclosable plastic bags or cookie tins.
Made famous by: Sue Landa of LaGrange, who has been making these for more than 25 years. "I first tasted this cookie at a child's birthday party in the '70s, " she said. "I cornered the mom at the party and said I must have this recipe! It originally came from a relative of hers in Germany who was a baker. The texture is wonderful -- and no chilling at all!"

Hands on time: 45 minutes Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes Serves: 2 dozen

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using electric beaters and a large mixing bowl, cream butter and granulated sugar. Add egg and vanilla and blend. In a small bowl, combine 2 cups flour with salt, baking powder and cream of tartar. Blend into creamed mixture. Gradually add enough additional flour to make a soft, pliable dough. If you add too much flour, the cookies will be tough and crack, so add flour slowly and stop mixer and check with your fingers. Use dough immediately; roll out onto lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch. Cut with cookie cutters and place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake 9 to 11 minutes until golden brown on edges. Transfer cookies to wire racks and cool.
Blend confectioners' sugar with enough milk to make a mixture the thickness of glue. Divide the frosting among several bowls and add a drop or two of food coloring. Frost cookies; decorate with sprinkles if desired.

Nutrition:

Per cookie: 118 calories (percent of calories from fat, 31), 1 gram protein, 20 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 4 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 14 milligrams cholesterol, 68 milligrams sodium.

I'm Knitting a Poncho

2010-11-13T21:59:00.000-08:00

So, I bought the winter coat today. It is indeed a parka, but it's not slouchy. I think I bought it because the brand has the words "Beverly Hills" in it and it makes me feel like I'm still in L.A. It's a powder blue puffer coat with this amazing collar and it's soooooooo warm. I almost bought one of those floor-length black puffer coats people wear in New York because it's like you're walking around with a Snuggie on, but just more fashionable.
Then I went and bought some yarn and knitting needles to knit myself a poncho because I have all this free time, what with no beach parties, hiking in the mountains, Koreatown spas, Galaxy or Laker games, or Silver Lake coffee shops to go to.

Here are some photos of ponchos I will NOT be making:

I'm in love with this photo, it's my new favorite photo of all time.

Do you think Anna Wintour would approve?

Here are some really cute ponchos:

It looks like a little garden gnome.

He can put his toy in it! Musa this one's for you.

So I'm knitting a poncho with this pattern because all you do is knit a scarf or a rectangle, then sew it by hand in one spot, and voila!

Winter Coats 2010

2010-11-13T10:37:00.000-08:00

Since I really need to get a winter coat I've been researching what style I want: the long wool coat, the down puffer, coat with skirt, or the slouchy parka with fur-trim. I think the last one is a winner. This post from Lucky Mag helped me make my decision.

From luckymag.com

Julia LoVan blog (Simplicity.Compassion.Beauty.)

New New York wedding photo shoot

Bright orange fall purse

New article on Julia LoVan Designs

Apple Orchard Outing

Today's great find: do-it-yourself Lanvin belt

Homemade waffle brunch

Creative woodsy photo shoot

DIY fringe jersey scarf a la Fluxus

What I'll Wear with My Missoni Flats

How to wear JLD's colorblock skirt

First giveaway winner

Spotlight on Zandra Rhodes: the pink-haired design legend

Fashion's Night Out Giveaways: Earrings, bow ties, trousers

Happy Fashion's Night Out: Midwest Edition

Bonobos men's trouser giveaway!

Spotlight on: Candi Matthias, from the farm to The Principal to Guess? handbags

Spotlight on a Midwest-to-East-Coast Fashion Designer

What to wear with a colorblock skirt?

Anthropologie's inspiration

Homemade caprese sandwiches, homemade frappuccinos, and vintage finds!

A few new summer pieces, and Store Update

Some summer prints and bright colors inspiration

Julia LoVan online store is up!

New summer photo shoot

Free Polaroids

How to find meaning in your work

Summer style inspiration: Doina Ciobanu

Searching for real lemonade and soul-grabbing art at the Des Moines Art Festival

New midwest boutique owner gives insight on working in the fashion industry

My Homemade Baby Shower Gifts

Princess Diana exhibit and DIY baby gifts

What should you do this summer? Have brunch!

Naomi Campbell compared to a chocolate bar?

Whimsical wedding shoot in New York Central Park

Julia LoVan 2011 lookbook

A Stylish and Green wedding

Colorful handmade goods- Sari Bari

An impressive high school fashion show at Central Campus

Julia LoVan writeup for Vitae

I always cry at royal weddings

Creative storytelling

Our latest bridal photo shoot: WPPI Las Vegas edition

New spring dresses currently available downtown!

Free and Fair elections in Congo

Baking cakes and sewing baby stuff- I'm a regular Martha Stewart

Victory for humanity- Target's dirty gold

NEWS

Victory! Target Joins "No Dirty Gold" Campaign, Pledges to Offer Ethically-Sourced Jewelry

My first Des Moines photo shoot

First Fashion Photo Shoot in Iowa

Isabel Toledo shoes at Payless

Jeannie Mai interviews SkinGraft clothing

Hope in the City IV fashion show LA Fashion Week

Inspirational Photography

Los Angeles itinerary

Take a look at my finished dress

Seeking designers (from anywhere) for Los Angeles Film Festival

Fashion designers in the country

See me in the window display

Slideshow of Mosaic Hope in the City fashion show 2010 last year

Spring pics for 2011

Featured on Etsy Treasury

Spring's new prints at Anthropologie

Spring 2011 Apparel by Julia LoVan designs

A great baby shower idea- photo booth!

A look into the life of one of the most creative eyes in the world- The Sartorialist

My new pattern book from JoAnn Fabrics!

Teen Vogue February issue

Racist Elle Magazine Cover?

Styling Tips:December

Inspiration from Los Angeles to Iowa

Christmas Cookies

The Story of Charity: Water and Scott Harrison

2 fashion inspiration videos

Culture in Des Moines

Today's Fashion Slave-trading information

A new garment I made

Trend Report:Full Skirts

The Morning Thanksgiving News