Well Peeps! I've Been MIA For A Couple Of Days....But I'm Back!!!

Hey Peeps!

Due to the 1st Annual Alberta Fashion week, my posts have been lacking:) Not only do I feel like I'm going through withdrawal, but I've missed y'all:) And I hope you've been well.

I have a couple of hours before I head out to the final show of the week. So the time has come for me to give you a re-cap of the past events.

First off, I've gotta say that the week has been a huge success!!! I am proud to have been a part of this weeks festivities and will definitely be back next year!

The photos that you are about to see will give you an inside look at innovative designs from various Albertan designers......

Although, I attended several after parties, I spent so much time "people watching" and admiring every one's "street style" that I forgot to grab some candid shots. Next year, I'll be "on the ball" and will be snapping photos constantly - for real~

Anyhoo, the Opening night was on Tuesday October 7 with 2 shows - Camile Prins' (Dutch Blonde line) & Adejoke Taiwo's (Alala line). Now for my Canadian readers that are driven by fashion, you may have recognized these names as they were both contestants of "Project Runway" Canada's Season Two!

The event took place at The Banke (a gorgeous spot @ 125 - 8 Ave. SW in Calgary)
Here's some shots of the interior. (the chandelier took my breath away by the way)

Now feast your eyes on the talented Camille Prins (she's the lovely gal looking towards the camera wearing the headband)



DUTCH BLONDE















Next up was Adejoke Taiwo.......

ALALA














The next couple of days were extremely busy....see my next post of Wednesday's shows. I figured that it would be a better idea to break down my posts, it makes it easier for me to keep track of things lol....

Only One More Sleep!!!

I know I've said this before peeps.....but I'll say it again. I am so excited for Alberta Fashion Week. ABFW started yesterday, but tomorrow marks one of the first event of many! I'll be heading off to the Opening Show at 7pm at the Banke (125 8 Ave. SW - I think you can still get tickets Calgary!), for the Dutch Blonde & alala show!!! Then I'm off to the Media reception at Escoba(624 8 Ave. SW - I've been there before and it's a sweet little spot). Seriously? I can't wait!

In keeping with the theme of fashion, I decided that it would be perfect to include an interview with Morgan Mallett a serious Calgary fashionista! I had the pleasure of meeting her in person at the Portobello West Art Market and I've gotta say, she is a breath of fresh air. I'd say that she is definitely FPP - friendly, personable & passionate. Her jewellery designs have graced the runway at Vancouver Fashion Week, and she was recently showcased in Elle Canada's' "Ones to Watch" editorial piece (October 2009). There's been quite a buzz about the creative genius behind Design + Conquer. So, sit back folks, as I am proud to present another lovely interview on The Creative Mixx.

What city are you based out of?
I’m currently based out of Calgary, Alberta. I visit my hometown of Vancouver quite regularly—people are often confused about where I’m from!

How did you get started? And how long have you been a Designer?
I’ve been designing for myself (and my family) since I was little. Whether that was making jewellery, selling my drawings on the side of the road(instead of lemonade!), or sewing booties for my cats as a child (I wouldn’t recommend this…haha), I’ve always experimented with different materials. I was fortunate to have a family that encouraged this.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
From everywhere—I’m an incredibly visual person, and constantly collect visual information (on scraps of paper,in sketchbooks, and on my computer). I’m also inspired by music and movies—I swear I watch some movies just for the art direction! I’m also always on the hunt for new and inspiring music…I rarely design without music.

Are you ever uninspired?
If so, how do you get over the slump? Sometimes,yes! I love running and being active—this helps me step out of my mind and into my body. By confronting the lack of creativity head-on, you can corner yourself even more, so I find that shifting activities (or doing nothing at all), can help get things flowing again. Also, watching a cheesy fashion movie like Zoolander can help put things into perspective and inject some humour into the situation!

Name one fashion item you can't live without?
Hmmmm…so hard. Besides a pair of D + C earrings, I’d say a good bra!

Have you got any special projects on the go right now?
Yes! I’ll be collaborating with clothing designer Jessica Biffi for her LG (aka Toronto)Fashion Week show. She’ll be using DESIGN + CONQUER earrings for her show on October 23. Am super excited, as I’m flying out for the show!

Any advice for newbies starting out?
Try and avoid thinking of design areas as self-contained, autonomous specialties— jewellery design, clothing design,graphic design, architecture...etc. Design is design, and can be translated into many areas. The more I learn to do this, the more excited I get— design is such a powerful tool. That, and just do it! Get out there and test the waters.

Feast your eyes on these unique & innovative pieces. They're TDF (that's "To Die For" peeps!)

The pieces that you'll find at Design + Conquer definitely make a statement. However, I've gotta let y'all know, these pieces are extremely lightweight (it's like having a feather dangle from your ear-lobes)I've held them in the flesh....

If you are looking to spruce up an outfit that will get people talking, head on over to Design + Conquer. Morgan's on Etsy too! So, you can Click Here to visit her shop.

Brrr....It Was A Cold One Today!!!

I woke up this morning to see pockets of snow here and there!!! Absolutely ridiculous, I tell ya!
I had to venture off into the cold to run some errands, but when I got home and finished doing some things around the house, I started to view some more etsy shops for lovely items.....

Here are a few fab picks for y'all to view on this Sunday evening.

Tess at the CozyLittleCave has some fabulous oil and acrylic paintings to spruce up your space!
You can contact her for commissioned work too.





Adelle, is straight out of Melbourne, Austrailia! You'll find the sweetest items created by herself & her students (she's an Art & Design High School Teacher y'all....). You can also visit her blog at
http://www.adelle.com.au/







At GaudetsGems's Etsy shop, you can find pretty jewellery made by the hands of a "southern girl"






I'm out y'all.....

To my Calgary peeps, stay warm:)

1luv

Spinning Music For The Masses......

Well it's Saturday night, and I think it's snowing right now!!!! It sure as hell doesn't look like rain, so yep....it's snow flurries! Blah...I was expecting this in like December, not the beginning of October:)

As the temperature drops on the outside, I started to think about what some of my fave things to do are.....Well for one, I love being out on the dance floor doing my thang, even though tonight is definitely not the night. So, instead of having a night on the town, I'm sitting here listening to some good beats and have an interview to post, that's well overdue.....

Tonight I'd like to introduce you to Andre Deejay Rodriguez (aka DJ Andre 905), who spins hip hop, r&B, reggae, and soca.

What city are you based out of?
I live in Mississauga, Ontario. Mississauga is a suburb of Toronto, Canada.

How did you get started? And how long have you been a DJ?
I started djing about 2 and a half years back. I got into djing because I have always been a fan of music in general. I have a large collection of vinyl and cds. I was at a new years eve jam one year where the deejay was horrible and it inspired me to deejay. I knew what the crowd wanted to hear and decided to deejay from that moment onwards.

Do you do this full-time?
I don't do this full time as I have 9-5 but I am working towards making this a full time venture. I am taking steps to get this set up and in place.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
I get my inspiration from various things. I can get inspiration from listening to another deejay play or from watching a commercial on TV. Inspiration can happen at any time and can come from anything.

Are you ever uninspired? If so, how do you get over the slump?
As a deejay, like most artists, there are times when you feel inspired and down. However, I try to look at the bigger picture and look towards my goals. I will usually go onto youtube and watch videos of DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Roc Raida (rip), DJ A Trak, DJ M Rock, etc and once watching those videos, I feel re-energized and hit my tables.

Name one item you can't live without?
I cannot live with my turntables. I feel as if my turntables are a porthole into a new world for me.

What's the Hottest song out right now?
Wow, that's a tough question. Its hard for me to pick just one song. I can name a couple songs off the top of my head. "I Run The Show" by Drega (he is my artist) and "Fear" by Drake.





Have you got any special projects on the go right now?
Right now, I am working on a mixtape featuring artists from Canada and the Southern United States. It should be dropping by the beginning of November so stay on the look out for that. Also, I am working on another mixtape with my homeys from Diamond Cut Soundcrew (DJ Kaya, DJ Beeware, & DJ Kurrupt). Look out for this tape to be dropping shortly.

Any advice for newbies starting out?
Never follow the norm and be creative. No one wants to see another Jazzy Jeff, A Trak, P Plus, etc. Be different and don't follow what other deejays play or mix.

You can check out DJ Andre 905's weekly radio station show called Royalty Radio airing every Tuesday night from 8-9 pm EST live at www.cfreradio.com (FM 91.9 in the Toronto area - University Of Toronto at Mississauga). for more info!!!

Follow him on twitter,

http://twitter.com/djandre905

Or check him out on facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/djandre905


1luv

Oooh I Am So Excited!!!

Happy Friday peeps!!!

Wowsers! This has been a rather busy week for me and with Alberta Fashion week coming up next week, I will be on the go non-stop lol....

I have a few things to chat about tonight. First, I've gotta say that last night's screening of "Guy and Madeline on a park bench" was really good. It was definitely a "Film Fest" film.

Jam packed with loads of music, singing & tap-dancing; I was entertained the whole way through. The "documentary feel" of this film appealed to me (cause I love documentaries) and I felt that the characters were "real" - love that!

If you're into jazz....then this movie is right up your alley!

And, ending the night off at the BeatNiq jazz club was definitely a treat! I'm shocked that I had never been before and plan to head on down there again. There's nothing better than listening to live jazz, while engaging in fabulous conversation and enjoying a delicious meal. My friend Ghyslaine and I shared a dish of mussels, frites and fresh bread. It was the first time that I had ever tried mussels and they were amazing!!! Seriously? I can't believe that I had never tried them before - must do that again!!!

Now for my exciting news! There's a lot in store for The Creative Mixx.

I have a lot of interviews ahead, including one with a DJ that is ready to post. In the upcoming weeks you'll see an interview with a host of a show which celebrates the faces and places of Africa, an interview with a local Calgary designer and one with a Calgary Make-Up artist.

Oh and there's gonna be more!!! A few days ago, I posted on one of the Etsy.com forum posts with hopes of finding interesting creative peeps to talk about and the response was astounding!!!

I got a whack load of positive feedback (including some new followers - can I get a woot! woot!)

So, I have a huge roster of talented individuals to showcase over the next little while and another Giveaway is in the works!!!

Here's a few talented peeps that have some amazing shops!

Sonseeahray "Sonny" gives you wearable art with no two pieces alike - pure originality I tell ya!






CLICK HERE to visit her space for a unique shopping experience!


I personally love wearing T's, so I am happy to showcase some items by ColonyClothing.







CLICK HERE to add some cool screen-printed t-shirts to your wardrobe:)

Lastly, I bring you MissMelodyMaker, a third generation self taught sewer with lovely scarfs, bags, headbands & fabric bracelets.








CLICK HERE to source out some hand-sewn beauties.

Well I'm out y'all.....time to read some posts from my fellow bloggers:)

1luv