Lady of the Month | Girls Are Made From Pepsi

One-on-one with Lady of the Month: Jetta Vegas

By: admin

09-01-2012

I first came across Jetta Vegas’ work around the time I moved to Perth. I was in a shit-hole of self-indulgent woefulness and was fairly fed up with an angry princess bitch face 24/7.. This might sound a bit hippy-dippy (hey, I do live in Fremantle), but I think I was supposed to stumble across her blog The Radical Uprise. Somewhere in the higgilty-piggilty of my own despondence, I sat up and heard what she had to say. And it was awesome. Whether it’s all down to hand of fate or a the manifestation of the semantic web isn’t paramount. What is is that Jetta Vegas is spreading her own version of a feel-good phenomenon, and it’s not all coated with saccharine sweetness and light. Although in a similar vein to Gala Darling and Charade Style, The Radical Uprise is entirely gender-neutral, and focuses on helping readers develop a Positive Mental Attitude. It’s fairly bad-ass, and so is this interview I had with her.

Bonjeezy girl! Firstly, I just want to say how much I dig your blog, The Radical Uprise. It’s seriously inspirational stuff. When and why did you start it?
First of all, thank you! That’s what it’s here for, I suppose. (; The Radical Uprise was born out of an epiphany I had a couple of years ago, really. I was at a low point in my life, feeling sorry for myself, letting my emotions get the best of me, and I dumped a bunch of verbal garbage onto the Internet. Big mistake. I woke up with regret and embarrassment, deleted all of my “Woe is me” posts and decided to make a change. I didn’t want to feel bad. I wanted to feel good. I realized that no one else could help me accomplish this because happiness stems from within. However, words are incredibly powerful and I wanted to use my own to help inspire and motivate others. The Radical Uprise exists in hopes to influence people to live a positive and fulfilling life and break free from conventional chains. Oh, and kick ass at life.

What do you do when you’re not writing for your blog, or making kick-ass zines?
I’m a bachelor. You know that bachelor frog meme? That epitomizes my life. But really, I enjoy reading, watching Adventure Time and exploring new places. And eating a lot of cupcakes. Simple things. However, my work absorbs me, permeates through my entire being, so even when I’m not working, I’m still constantly brainstorming. I keep a notebook with me at all times, filled with sloppy pen dribble. Most things inspire me and I never want to miss an opportunity to share things with my readers. Quite honestly, it’s extremely hard for me to separate myself from work. I suppose it’s just because I enjoy it so much. Or perhaps I’m just a work-a-holic. Who knows. Oh, I also really dig pizza.

Is Vegas really your last name? Sorry! I had to ask!
I get that a lot. It is! A reader actually commented on a recent post of mine and said, “I live in Vegas and drive a Jetta,” to which I responded, “I live in Seattle and ride the bus.” Oh, jokes.

You seem super chill in your own skin. Was there ever a time where you didn’t feel so proud of yourself?
Oh, certainly! I believe we’ve all been there at some point of time. Some of us are still there. It’s such a cliche, but it’s all about being true to yourself. I mean, humans are very impressionable creatures. We are influenced by society, magazines, TV shows and hundreds of thousands of opinions of how one “should” be. We doubt ourselves, wear a mask. We hold back from doing so many things because of the fear of looking stupid. We don’t want to be judged or ridiculed. Oh, I feel some rambling coming. Brace yourself.

I know everyone says it, but I just used to be so…awkward. Insecure. Lost. I even used to lie about my shoe size because I was self conscious about how big my feet were compared to my peers. Hilarious, right? Petty things. It’s all about embracing everything that makes you who you are. We’re always concerned with how other people perceive us. Why? When we overcome those barriers, life becomes a lot more enjoyable. Not everyone is going to like you. That’s okay! What matters is that YOU like you. You weren’t put on this earth to impress those around you. Life is supposed to be fun. If you’re not having fun, you’re not doing something right. If my big feet bother you, don’t look at them (they’re really not that big – I wear a 9 1/2).

What advice would you have for anyone who feels pretty low in the self-esteem department?
Stop it. Be nice to yourself. Easier said than done sometimes, but it’s true. If you don’t like something, make a change. If you can’t change something, change the way you think about it. It’s really as simple as that. That advice has helped me overcome a lot the past few years. It’s really all about your mentality. Go into the bathroom, stare at the reflection in the mirror, say “Hey, you kick ass.” Give yourself a fist bump and choose to be awesome. Really.

What can we expect from Jetta Vegas for 2012?
Hopefully lots of new things! The Radical Uprise will continue to grow and flourish. I’m hoping to come out with lots of fun, interactive products, more blogging, zine goodness and hopefully you’ll see me getting my grove on with Ellen Degeneres on her show. That’s kind of a high goal to shoot for but hey, it could happen.

One-on-one with Lady of the Month Megan (Charade)

By: admin

05-12-2011

fashion, interviews, Lady of the Month

Imagine a world without imagination, without dreams, a world where we only lived within our personal boundaries. Sounds fairly Orwellian, doesn’t it? Whilst a Pollyanna view of life might be a little impractical, there’s an infectious love-bug sweeping the blogosphere. Whereas writers were once infamous for addiction, a predilection for despair and confessional style prose which could hit fairly close to home but was hardly inspirational, writers (and particularly young ones at that) are turning a new page on tone, mood and message. They are, dare I say it, happy? Excited to be alive?

Megan is the author of Charade, a lifestyle blog for fashion savvy young women after substance and entertainment. Not only does it feature some adorable design, it’s all chock full of inspiration, advice and tips for making your life less average.

I contacted Megan recently because her blog, much like Gala Darling’s, is incredibly good for a pick me up when I’m feeling less than sassy. Here’s le interview.

Hey girl! What’s your story?

I’m just your regular gal, trying to live a little more magically! I’m a recent graduate, avid tea-drinker, vegetarian, vintage fashion addict, day-dreamer, traveller, positivity nut and nerdy blogger!

Why did you start Charade Style?

I started Charade literally at the very beginning of my own degree because I wanted to document my experiences, as well as hopefully provide a helpful resource to other sassy students in the same boat: wanting to stay stylish and live with a little luxury on their measly student budgets.

How has your blog evolved over time?

My original tagline was ‘A Fabulous Lifestyle on a Budget’ and, whilst I still very much advocate the possibilities of that, Charade has become more about simply living with imagination – whatever that may mean to you – and exceeding the limits you thought were in your way, hence my new tagline ‘Make-believe has no boundaries’. I tend to post a lot more on positive living and self-development nowadays, whereas previously I was more about the fashionz (it still sneaks in there though!)

I love your passion for living with creativity and imagination! When did you realise these were the keys to a life time of fun?

When I was 18 I discovered the blogosphere, and most notably a rather well known young lady named Miss Darling (www.galadarling.com). I’d been your typical angsty teenager – taking an odd pleasure in a woe-is-me way of looking at life and suddenly I had a wake-up call. It became clear to me that I was in charge of my own happiness, and that I was the only one missing out if I didn’t live as positively and productively as I could every day. You could call it a kind of responsibility – and I was totally empowered by this, in such a strong way that I’ve never looked back.

I’ve always been creative and a day-dreamer, and although I left the games of make-believe in my childhood, I have been able to overcome some of the most challenging periods of my life simply using visualisation to guide myself beyond it. I’ve realised this is a gift that not everyone hasand have made the decision to cultivate it and let it support and inspire everything I do. Every life decision you make, goal you want to achieve, place you want to be – starts in your imagination – and the more imaginative you are, the more miraculous the results, in my opinion!

You started your blog when you were at university. What did you study?

I am the very proud proprieter of a First Class Bachelor of Arts in English Literature in Creative Writing. I got to study everything from Jane Austen to Journalism. It was a good time.

Who are you favourite bloggers?

For style: Elsa and Sandra rock my world, and are pretty much my only daily style reads. I occasionally frequent Calivintage too.

For passion: I don’t believe I’ll ever stop reading GalaDarling.com, that girl is a force to be reckoned with and always inspiring. I also go ga-ga for White Hot Truth.

What advice would you give to a blogging enthusiast who’s a little bit shy about having their voice heard?

The wonder of blogging is that you don’t need to be outrageously outgoing to give it a shot. You can show as much or as little of your life as you like, or even make up a persona if you so choose! Maybe the web could be the place to cultivate your voice so that you positively have to be heard? The internet has put the whole world into conversation with itself and, personally, I think it’s time you joined in!

Do you design/code your blog yourself?

My blog is just a very basic Blogger template tweaked here and there, it’s a good job I like the simple look because html baffles the ba-jeezahs outta’me! Anytime I need to do something there has always been a tutorial readily available after a quick googling.

What’s the next chapter for Megan?

Well now there’s a question… what’s next for any of us?! (wild deflecting! Ha!) It’s always a priority of mine to invest more and more of myself into blogging and online business. I want to build up Charade as both a positive resource for my wonderful audience and a stream of income – how I’ll do that remains to be seen! But there is always a scheme in the making…

Make sure you check out Megan’s blog, Charade Style.

One on one with Lady of the Month: Darling Stewie

By: admin

31-10-2011

Lady of the Month

Darling Stewie is a graphic design nerd and internet geek from Pennsylvania, USA. Of all the feeds I’m subscribed to, she’s by far the one I’d most like to put in my pocket and pet until fluffy. I think I found her blog because Twitter suggested her as someone similar to me, which had me all flattered and feeling cutesy and I swiftly starting following and giggling at her tweetage. Moi? Similar to a hyper cute graphic design extraordinaire with a knowledge of CSS? You know, I did a graphic design course once, and let me tell you, it was no packet of Tim Tams. Darling Stewie’s ability to whip up a fully functional web site with a crazy kawaii design will either leave you positively delighted, or suffering from a cute-overload induced seizure. As Stewie’s disclaimer says, you’ve been warned!

Firstly, tell us a little about yourself.

I’m a graphic & web designer, cartoonist, and Internet obsessed silly girl who is constantly going in 10 directions all at once. I have a strange sense of humor and I think laughter is one of those joys in life you can never get enough of – so at least I’ve been making myself laugh for 26 years. I also love web design, typography, colors, and digital art. Oh and cartoons. Oh and wine and coffee. And I guess I like my dog and cat too.

How’d you get the nickname ‘Darling Stewie’? Did you choose it yourself?
My last name is Stewart, so I was called Stewie in high school. And I am such a DARLING too, aren’t I. This story is lame. I need to make something else up for the future.

Your blog is full of adorable animations! They make me feel quite giddy and childlike again. Have you always been creative? What did you want to be when you were a wee fairy princess?
I have been creating comic strips based on my friends since I was about 13. My friends all knew this about me – I was the girl who drew the really goofy comics, and then tried to get my friends to participate too, draw their own, and read them. It became a weird sort of bonding thing, they would draw comics with me, and add to my comics. The comics were all about our lives and things we did, or crazy things we could never do! They made us crack up… I have notebooks full of comic stories from my friends and me over the years…. all full of weird tales of childlike whimsy and goofy wonderment.

When I was younger I wanted to be an astronaut. Then I wanted to be a voice actress and cartoonist. Now I am sort of the voice actress and cartoonist but mostly I do graphic and web design to make le money.

Do you think good designers are born or made?
I think good designers are made, because it takes work and dedication. You can actively choose to try and be a good designer, work hard, learn the medium, and do good work if you have the work ethic. But truly creative people are born. Coming up with original ideas is so hard. A robot could never do this, unless it was like Robin Williams in Bicentennial Man maybe. He was cool. To be unique and artistic is difficult. Also, we’re concerned about what others will think about what we are creating. But never give up people, keep trying to create anything – make something unique every day, even if you just draw a stupid doughnut, sing a little song about a funny monkey, or come up with an interesting idea or new way to do something you always do the same way. Think outside the box! And laugh at yourself, because you’re weird.

Do you have any favourite graphic designers or artists?
When I was younger I always loved Roman Dirge (Lenore), Jhonen Vasquez (Invader Zim), Craig McCracken (Powerpuff girls) – really any artist behind Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network cartoons. I felt like I could easily join a team of cartoon loving goofballs who wrote silly 15 minute cartoon episodes for kids. I love toys! Especially designer vinyl toys: Kidrobot, Momiji, Harajuku, and EVERYTHING tokidoki. As far as more “fine art” is concerned, my favorites are Fiona Hewitt, Mark Ryden, Andy Warhol and Angie Mason.

When you’re feeling uninspired, what or who do you turn to for a pick me up?
For web design, I check out www.cssremix.com and www.thebestdesigns.com – I also browse Smashing Magazine and on twitter follow a list of many great graphic and web design websites. For goofy comics, those really just sprout inside my dumb little brain like a strange plant and spill onto my paper like weirdo jellybeans.

Is there a glass ceiling in graphic design?
Like for ladies? I’d say no way. Ima go burn a bra now.
How important do you think it is for sisters to stick together?
FOR SURE! It’s mad important. I have a sis of my own (a real sister, not like a friend sister I guess), and she is like my prized jewel. Sisters (blood or not): Cherish each other and love each other! Men are important too, but sisters are WAY BETTER.

And lastly, what would you tell yourself five years ago.
Dear Leslie: You are a huge dork. You are going to be a huge dork in 5 years, but you will be cuter. Embrace your weirdness and share your love and jokes with people as much as you can. Also you will have a dog who makes weird noises.

Check out here blog and portfolio here for adorable imagery, cutesy ensembles and the occasional nonsensical comic strip.

One-on-One with Lady of the Week Jenn

By: admin

03-10-2011

Lady of the Month

When I first started blogging, twittering and building my web presence, I used to sign off my emails as ‘Cyber Space Magician’. Pretty grandiose, huh? I’m constantly looking for others’ work to inspire me and examples to learn from, and when I found Jenn’s work, I knew this girl was throwing yard sticks out of the stratosphere. A web enthusiast since 1996, this chick is IT. If I’m a cyber space magician, Jenn is an intergalactic web sorceress. At 27-years-old, Jenn is a writer, web developer, digital photographer and mother to three. A bona fide slashie of all sorts, Jenn’s got a passion that I find so inspiring, and I hope you do too.

Let’s begin with you telling us a little somethin’ somethin’ about your fine self!
Hi! Well, in case you hadn’t guessed, my name is Jenn. I’m 27 years old, and somehow I’ve amassed in this short life of mine not only a husband (we’ve been married for seven years as of October 1st!), but two children and physical custody of my teenage brother. I somehow made the jump from working retail in 2005 to working from home doing blogging, web design and a lot of SEO-oriented work, and that’s all I’ve been doing ever since. I spend way too much of my days taking care of everyone and everything around me, but I still find time to indulge in digital photography, and reading (I won’t lie: trashy romances are my vice!).

You’ve been on the internet for ages! How did your interwebby adventure start?
I first discovered the internet in the summer of 1996, when my local library had the internet accessible via Netscape (old school!) on a few very slow computers. Two summers later my mother bought a computer, and it wasn’t long before I discovered chatrooms and what were then called “personal homepages”. I jumped around from geocities.com to excite.com to bolt.com to kiwibox.com, wound up getting hosted on a now-defunct domain named orange-jello.com, then purchased my own domain name – orgasmic-bitch.org – in September of 2001. I domain hopped a bit more, stuck with kiss-my-kitty.com for several years, and then purchased and never strayed from jenn.nu on January 1st, 2007.

Which is better: Jack of all trades or one trick wonder pony?
Jack of all trades. It’s never a smart idea to put all of your eggs into one basket, you know?

Finish this sentence: As a woman in media I aim to…
Make it known who I am, and take pride in who I am.

You’re a mother of two young ankle biters. What’s your advice to other young women who are learning how to juggle crazy times with their passions?
Don’t forget about yourself. Too many mothers make the mistake of giving their all to your children. I think that it’s very important for your sanity and your general well-being to not lose your sense of identity after having children.

One-on-One with Lady of the Week: Lauren O’Neil

By: admin

19-09-2011

interviews, Lady of the Month

Source: laurenoutloud.com

Ambitious? Check. Multi-talented? Check. Super cute yet kick-ass to boot? Double check. Allow me to introduce you to Lauren O’Neil, a move and a shaker of the multi-media variety. She clearly loves her life and what she does, and it’s no wonder! She blogs for Cananda’s Cosmo TV, she makes videos, is the resident social media guru for Vitamin Water MuchMusic, teaches online journalism, and gets to interview loads of cool people for a living. I recently approached her to be my Lady of the Week, and despite her cuh-razy schedule, she was super thrilled to take time out to answer some questions for me. Here is le interview. Enjoy!

Yo Lau! Where you from gurl? What’s your story?

Bonjeezy, doll! I’m living in Toronto right now, but was born in a small city called Chatham in Ontario. It’s an aight town, but very very boring if you’re not into playing hockey or… well, that’s about it.
I had to make my own fun until I escaped for University at 17. Often, that involved writing or reading or dressing up in weird costumes and messing with people. Sometimes, it involved Barbie dolls and Ninja Turtles and my parents’ ginormous old video camera. Rarely did it involve acting cool. I wasn’t cool.

When you were just a little blonde-bot, what did you want to be when you grew up?

EVERYTHING. I still want to be everything. It used to change week by week: a veterinarian, a dance teacher, a scientist, a garbage man, an undercover cop (the kind that gets to wear fake skin like Mrs. Doubtfire), an actresssss… I wanted the spotlight, always. This much was certain.

You have a few pimpin’ jobs in the media industry. How did you get your foot in the door?

I get asked this a lot… I so wish I had a definitive answer! I think it was a combination of hard work, education, networking, passion and, for lack of a better word, “pizazz”. Actually, wait – I do have a better word: “Moxie”. I like that word, moxie.

I started down this path long before I realized what I was doing. I was constantly performing as a kid – acting in every play I could, dancing, entering public speaking competitions. I wrote like crazy all the while, and started building websites when I was 12. Fast forward 10 years later, I’m finishing my undergraduate degree in Communication Studies / Computer Science, hosting my university’s video news program, bartending at a high-volume nightclub and interning at a small ad agency.

I decided to get a Master’s degree in Journalism after that and while at J-School I began blogging harder, got really into Twitter, built up my digital portfolio and worked my butt off on assignments. This lead to a great internship at a TV news station and a freelance blogging gig with a major television station in Toronto. I covered concerts for them and for my own blog, meeting tons of people and making friends with everybody I could along the way. I freelanced for other publications too.

My first job out of school was with Canada’s largest newspaper. I got that through school connections and through being knowledgeable about new media technology.

All subsequent jobs just sort of happened. I still get approached by producers and editors looking for people with my skill set. It would appear as though journalists with strong multimedia skills are in short supply… or rather, if they’re out there, they’re not easy to find. I think this may be the key – I understood the importance of making myself easy to find from the very beginning. Personal branding is important in any industry, but especially this one.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTZ-Ywi8Eo0]

You seem like a crazy busy person! Do you bathe in red bull?

Too sticky! I prefer coffee. I bathe the inside of my body with black coffee like, 8 times a day. I don’t care if it’s 11:00 pm – if I’ve still got work to do, more coffee. I’m going to be dead by the time I’m 30, aren’t I?

Who’s the coolest person you’ve ever interviewed?

Ooooh that’s tough! Talking to Dustin Diamond (Screech from Saved by the Bell) was pretty cool. He was kind of creepy, but like… he’s Samuel Powers! In a similar vein, Alicia Silverstone was awesome to talk to. Cher Horowitz was one of my idols growing up. Johnny Knoxville, also cool. I love him pretty hard

Do you ever get star struck and spontaneously propose to people?

Hahahaha, yesssss
I almost puked on Ryan Gosling in Cannes. I’ve never felt like that before.
The Adrian Grenier proposal was actually planned in advance. I didn’t think he’d say yes, but sheeeeeet – looks like I’ve got a wedding to plan now! Want to come?

Describe yourself in haiku form plz.

Lauren likes to Tweet
She can’t put down her iPhone
Look out for that wall

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN-s7a1E4Qk]
Follow Lauren on Twitter here, or check out her blog!

One-on-One with Lady of the Week Tammy (Obnoxious Owl)

By: admin

29-08-2011

Lady of the Month

Obnoxious Owl is something of a cyber space enigma. Originally from South Africa, the Obnoxious Owl has been blogging since 2009 with her signature wit and in-yer-face cacophony. Otherwise known as Tammy Croucher (but sshhh, she prefers her vermin moniker!), Obnoxious Owl dishes out advice for those brave enough to ask about sex, money, fashion and a range of confronting topics. She also writes for a variety of other publications, such as Perth’s Street Press, and websites such as The Grime Report and Sofidonuts. With a steady following in both Australia and the UK, expect more colourful witticisms from the Obnoxious Owl.

I emailed the self-confessed queen of candid below-the-belt self help advice to find out what lies beneath

Hey Tammy! What is your blog Obnoxious Owl about?

Obnoxious Owl is about throwing it out there, saying stuff out loud and COLOUR.

What do you do when you’re not blogging?

I am trying to get to know the city of Melbourne through coffee drinking and late night dancing. I am always thinking of ways of how I can become my own boss and/or getting my claws done!

When did you realise your particular knack for dishing out pearls of wisdom?

I dunno. I have always been opinionated, and the beauty of a blog is that you can say what you mean and mean what you say and if you dun like it then dun read it, innit!? Haha, please take all advice with a pinch of the proverbial.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever given?

Don’t sweat the petty things and don’t pet the sweaty things.

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

I love wood.

Lady of the Week: Natasia Langfelder

By: admin

15-08-2011

Lady of the Month

Lady of the Week is back! Last week was all sorts of crazy, so regrettably I couldn’t share my latest internet soul sistah with you all. So here she is – meet Natasia Langfelder, aka, Hot Femme in NYC. An entertainment writer from the city that never sleeps, Natasia’s blog is full to the brim with anecdotes about the life of a yummy young lady living the rainbow life in New York City. Need advice on dating? On breaking up? On coming out to your religious and conservative parents? Or maybe you just want some LOLs and want to understand the dating scene of the LGB crowd. Natasia delivers the funneh with her signature sparkling wit. She was delighted to hop on the good ship and answer a few of my questions. Enjoy! And be sure to check out her work.

Who are you? And what is your business here?!
Hi, I’m Natasia and my business is the funny. Also I go down on other chicks, so we have that in common. Call me!

I’ve been the features editor at a few online LGBT websites and I was focused on celebrity news that would be of interest to the LGBT community. What I learned from that is that there’s not a ton of interest in what Angelina and Brad are doing. Generally, gays want to know about other gays and have fun instead of gossiping about celebrities. So I took my crazy to WordPress.

I’m trying to create a space that will entertain gay girls while also giving some hints about the nuances of queer dating, romance, fashion and the social scene in general. I would really like to help people find, get and keep the girl of their dreams. Or at least get laid once in awhile. My blog is shaped by my personal experiences in the queer world (aka what I did last night) as well as by feedback from the delightful ladies who write to me for advice. So each post is here and queer even if we aren’t talking straight up vadge.

Describe what your blog is about for the hapless hetero or discerning bi-curious.
Straight people: We aren’t that different from you! We care about how we look, fitting in, how to ask out the hot woman sitting next to us and if you tickle us, we laugh. (Holla Shakespeare) My blog is about all the things that you care about, but with a queer slant. Like, if the world was reversed and there were more gay people than straight people and you all had to be the loser best friend instead of the star? That’s my blog.

Oh are you bi-curious? Call me. I can help.

What does being a femme mean to you?
To me, Femme is less about how you look on the outside and more about who you are on the inside. It means being compassionate, empathetic, staying true to yourself and showing respect for others, probably while wearing heels. A Femme should build up her partner, make her feel sexy, strong and special. There’s no love like femme love.

Do you think the Kinsey scale is relevant? Where do you think you fall?
I think the Kinsey scale is an easy way to pretend to quantify sexuality and that’s something people feel a deep need for. If we can break sexuality down and give it a number, it becomes something we can more easily process. So not too relevant. Love and sex are too messy for numbers.

But if we are playing this game, I’m probably a 5. Which means I’m mostly a huge muffdiver who fell onto a few guys. Everyone is so sexually fluid these days and I’m not! I feel left out and boring. BUT before I dated women, I had some really great boyfriends that I’m still very close with. I would never want to trivialize my relationships or my connections with them. But I’m 99.9% sure I would never, ever choose to be with a man again; which is great news for my wife.

What are the most annoying misconceptions about gay girls?
That we are all attracted to straight women. It drives me crazy. I’m more into chicks that like chicks. We’ve all had that moment when your straight acquaintance is drunk at the bar and wants you to tell her she’s the prettiest princess you ever had a shot with. “Yes, you are pretty. No I don’t think you are hotter than the dyke who works in the mail room at my office. Yes, women who look like men do turn me on and no, I won’t tell you why.”

Also, no we are not all ugmos who are just gay because we can’t get men. If we are conventionally pretty, we are not just waiting for the right guy. Oh and duh, no threesomes that involve a guy.

Whether for eyecandy or inspirational reasons, what women do you adore or admire?
I adore Margaret Atwood. Her writing is so beautiful it makes me cry in frustration because I want to be able to create that so badly. Angst, it’s a helluva feeling.

I also admire Katherine Moennig. Both for being sexy and making me think seriously about developing an eating disorder. I never feel very “Shane” but one day I would like to.

Do you have any advice for girls ready (or not so ready) to come out?
Life is too short to stay in the closet. Unless you rely on your parents for financial support and there is a chance they will kick you out of the house, just come out. When I came out, my best friend cried because I had kept it a secret from her. It hurt her feelings that I thought she wouldn’t understand. I have been continually surprised by how amazing my friends and family are. Give yours credit more credit than I did. Living an honest life will make you and your loved ones feel more at peace. Plus girl on girl is awesome, so go get it.

One-on-One with Lady of the Week: Jacqui Bradfield of April Rose Make Up

By: admin

01-08-2011

Lady of the Month

Those who know I’ve recently relocated to Perth can probably guess I’m partially biased towards all things Western Australian. There’s something about the movers and the shakers this side of the sunburnt country – they encapsulate a kind of effortless and natural beauty in the world that I’ve found the Eastern states tend to over-embellish with in-yer-face pizazz and an often-times an overstated eagerness to be noticed. Jacqui Bradfield’s blog Don’t You Know April Rose captures perfectly the West Australian aesthete – delicate, organic and slightly quirky, yet modestly so. The cute-as-a-button face behind April Rose makeup, Jacqui’s blog is a mish-mash of her personal life, Perth fashion, pretty photographs and make up tips. Here’s our convo. XX

Firstly, tell me a little bit about yourself!

Helllooo! My name is Jacqui Bradfield, I’m 24, I live in Perth with my boyfriend and cat named Mushy.
What prompted you to get into makeup artistry?

WELL… I had worked in government my whole life, building up my career in the direction I thought I wanted to go in. Meanwhile, I was preoccupied with the desire to work in the creative industry and I was dabbling in applying makeup in my spare time. After umming and ahhing for about three years, I finally took the jump, enrolled in a diploma course and quit my full time job! I gave my self, “The Fear” haha.
Who are your absolute favourite people to work with?

I love it when I get to work with people who have amazing energy, and really love what they are doing. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Hannah McGrath a few times; she is one of these people! Oh, also I get the chance to work regularly with one of my close friends, designer for LittleGracie Ebony Harding, which is always a treat!
Where do you get your inspiration from?

Haha before I was working as a MUA I used to scoff at people who droned on about “finding inspiration” but now I’m one of them! I carry a little scrap book around with me where I can sketch ideas and keep images that I like. I watch a TONNE of youtube tutorials to see what other artists are up too and I also love going through people’s flickrs and tumblrs for images.
What is the biggest makeup blunder a girl can make?

Hmmm I don’t believe in mistakes, I love big bold brows but they may be horrifying to someone else. However, I do see so many women not wearing the right formula of foundation for their skin type, or the wrong shade. The right foundation can do wonders!
What’s your overall view of the fashion industry?

I don’t think I have enough experience in the industry to properly answer this question but I can say that it’s less scary than I initially thought and the Perth Fashion industry is made up of some VERY hard working men and women.
Do you have any secret tips for looking and feeling like a goddess?

Oooo I have lots! They aren’t very secret though…Simple things like looking after your skin Seriously please exfoliate twice a week, it does wonders!. Getting eyebrows threaded instead of waxed (I think ill do a blog post on this soon). Cleaning your MU brushes regularly and throwing out mascara older than 3 months!

Complete this sentence: Girls are most beautiful when they…

Feel confident. I love seeing girls wearing an extreme look during the day or no makeup at all. Either way they are confident in their look and it shows!
Are you chasing any dreams right now?

So many. It’s such a competitive industry to be in, so hopefully I can make an impact somewhere along the line.

One-on-one with Lady of the Week Scarlett Harris

By: admin

26-07-2011

interviews, Lady of the Month

I found Scarlett’s blog via one of my favourite Australian writers, Rachel Hills. And hey, if it’s good enough for that kick-ass wordsworth/academic/sparkly human being, then I’m sure it’ll add some extra oomph to my blog feeds! Indeed it did. If you’re after something informative and your spirit animal is a fan girl fox, The Early Bird Catches the Worm is for you.

I’ve been reading and spamming Scarlett ever since I found her blog, so naturally I felt the need to stick her face on my blog and ask her how she stays sizzlin’ in the blogosphere. Here’s our short yet sweet convo.

Hey Scarlett! How would you describe your blog to someone who’s never read it?
Pop culture and social commentary with a feminist edge.

What’s with the name Early Bird Catches the Worm? I sense a mild allusion to journalistic prowess!
Ideally, I would be the earliest bird with the worm, but my day job gets in the way of that. It’s more like Second Mouse Catches the Worm! One day…

You blog explores feminist issues in relation to pop culture. Who are some of you favourite women on television, in music or literature?
Where do I start?! As the blog will attest, I’m a huge fan of Mia Freedman, Rachel Hills and Erica Bartle. Still with writing, I have just delved into Joyce Carol Oates and I’m loving her work.
I have recently written about Cristina Yang of Grey’s Anatomy, the women of Scream and Charmed, and Grace Kelly as Lisa Fremont in Hitchcock’s Rear Window, all of whom I find interesting characters.
I also have a soft spot for Marilyn Monroe, who is ripe with feminist fodder.

How do you stay motivated?
As someone who writes about the current happenings in pop culture and social trends, it really depends on what’s happening in that sphere at the time and whether I have something of value to add to the discussion or can relay someone else’s opinion. It ebbs and flows. But I find that if the other aspects of my life (work, social life, downtime) are in order, my motivation to write is, too.

What advice would you have for other media graduates who are finding the media industry hard to crack?
I’m finding the media industry hard to crack myself, so I’m not sure what advice I might have that could be of use! It’s important to find your writing voice and have an online presence, especially if you have no other published works to show potential employers. Try to get a mentor of sorts, as well. I wouldn’t say that I have an official mentor, per se, but I am in contact with several other successful bloggers who offer a wealth of advice and support. Rachel Hills has some wonderful stuff on her blog in relation to mentorship.
And all you need is a foot in the door!

Check out Scarlett’s blog here.

One-on-One with Olivia Mackinnon of Not Quite Carrie

By: admin

18-07-2011

interviews, Lady of the Month

A lot of people really, truly despise Carrie Bradshaw. And for all intents and purposes, I probably should too. She is the quintessential New York swinger, a heterosexual white girl with too many 1st world problems (and shoes). Her life is consumed by lattes, lovers and credit card debt, inadvertently inspiring a generation of women to believe they can write. So by default, Olivia’s blog Not Quite Carrie really shouldn’t be ticklin’ by pickle. But it does, so I chose her to be the Lady of the Week. Olivia writes not from a position of privilege or writerly superiority like some fictional New York writers, but she’s so girl-next-door one feels as though they’ve stumbled upon a journal. If you’re after something easy, breezy, conversational, and want to put the feminist theory aside for something lighter, Not Quite Carrie delivers.

Here’s what she had to say about living and loving online, the worthiness of a university degree and her Australian heroes.

Why did you start Not Quite Carrie and what is your blog about?
I started NQC as a kind of outlet for all of the love and relationship hullabaloo i just had to get off my chest. After penning (or rather, typing) 30+ pages of the stuff in a simple word document, I figured I couldn’t be alone in my struggles to rationalise marriage, true love and if he really just isn’t that into you. I figured a blog would be a good opportunity to share my thoughts and get other people’s opinions back. NQC was born kind of organically after that, I guess.

What do you love most about blogging, and do you write for any other publications?
I guess what I love most is that there is no bias. No advertisers to satisfy, no boss to impress. I’m completely free to write whatever I want without censoring. It’s about taking a thought or a question, jazzing it up with a bucket load of scandal and intrigue and expressing it on a page in a way that’s enticing to a reader. Someone just like me, who has something valuable to add, or may just need a pick-me-up or a proper nudge to realise that the guy she’s wasting all of her time pining over is more than likely a total doucher – and deserves a flick of Farrah Fawcett proportions.

My 9-5 gig has a slightly prettier gloss to it. I pen blogs for an online beauty website called beautyheaven.com.au. From time to time you see that blogs (or ideas for blogs) have crossed over and without sounding all gushy-Gwyneth at the 1999 Oscars – I feel very blessed to have a job that’s creative enough to compliment my hobby, and vice versa.

School of life or university degree?
School of life, again and again and again. I gave university a go, but couldn’t stand the thought of wasting three years doing a course that wasn’t going to fast-track me to where I wanted to be. Especially when I could be out there living and breathing magazines, running to pick up coffees and copious amounts of dry-cleaning and ultimately learning from the best in the business, rather than from people who you don’t aspire to be that are plonked in a lecture room all day long. My most influential teachers have been Sarah Wilson, Mia Freedman and Jackie Maxted – and you won’t find any of them teaching from a book in a classroom.

If you want to get into writing/magazines or any kind of journalism, the buzz/key/most important word to ever remember is – Experience. Get some!

Where do you get inspiration from?
Although more often than not they hate it, my friends give me the bulk of my inspiration. Whether they’re going through a break-up, are wondering why he hasn’t called yet or want to know if shagging her better looking mate is okay, odds are they’re never thrilled to see a dedicated post the next day. I always tell them not to fret, my pseudo names are tré inconspicuous.
A lot of my inspiration also comes straight from my life – I figure if I’m going through motions with the wrong guy, a lot of others are too, so it makes sense to share. I’m almost a little too obvious at times though. And my blogs tend to give away any reservations or insights into what’s going on in my own love life before I even get the chance to realise them – or before the guy does for that matter.

What do you love most about Aussie bloggers?
For the most part we tell it like we see it. I’ve noticed that as a collective, we don’t tend to waffle on about things that we know we don’t have a good handle on. I know I personally write by that mantra. If there isn’t enough opinion or insight, you won’t see it published until there is (so you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything on how to find the perfect guy!) I see that a lot on Australian blogs. We’re very real, we understand our niche and how to appeal to each other whether it be with raw information without all of the fluff, or with a dry sense of humour that completely overshadows the content – but is so humorous we don’t even notice. That’s what I love most.

One-on-one with lady of the week Meg Clark of Good Morning Midnight

By: admin

12-07-2011

fashion, interviews, Lady of the Month

Photo: goodmorningmidnight.com

Meg Clark is a New York based writer and photographer. Yawn. How about, Meg Clark is a New York writer and photographer who mixes feminist and queer theory with fashion? I think that got your attention. I chose Meg to be the Lady of the Week because not only does she have an eye for amazing style (and has the best boards on Pinterest), but her blog represents a new ilk of socially aware fashion bloggers. If you’re after something with a lot of substance and like longer posts as opposed to clothes horse photo essays, check out her blog for some intelligent thought.

How long have you been running Good Morning Midnight?

I’ve been blogging in some form or other for pretty much as long as I’ve had an internet connection… in 2008 I decided to make it less about my personal life and more about my interests, and gradually narrowed it down to mostly fashion because it made the most sense at the time considering my other interests and the direction of my career. So I guess my blog in its current form has been around for almost three years now.

Why is fashion important to you?

I tend to go on these really long rants about how-can-fashion-be-feminist and what-does-fashion-mean-if-I-am-queer-and-femme and all these complicated sociological justifications for my interest, but at the end of the day I think a big part of it is that I just never grew out of playing dress-up all the time. I definitely am one of those people that thinks of their clothes as a costume, from my shoes to my makeup, every day… I’m totally into being aware of femininity and style as this sort of elaborate ruse or performance I get to stage every day, and honestly I have a lot of fun with it. I also was a relatively shy and awkward teenager, and I think for a long time I looked to fashion and style as a way to speak for or about myself instead. I’ve grown more confident throughout my 20′s but I still think a lot about what I’m “saying” with my clothes.

What gets your knickers in a twist? What inspires you to write about feminist and queer issues?

I’m a queer girl. Why wouldn’t I care about it?! So I guess my life and the lives of the people around me and the struggles we all face inspires me in that regard…. It’s also surprising how many of my posts end up coming out of weird g-chat conversations I had with other friends and writers or just out of response to pieces that have been published elsewhere — it’s very much part of a broader online dialogue I think. Also, in person I’m actually not especially aggressive, and I think I use my blog often to talk about issues I don’t have the space, time, or audience for in much of my day-to-day life. Also — off topic, but do people really say “knickers” in Australia and England and so on? We need to bring that back stateside, seriously. “Panties” is the worst word in the English language, eeeew.

Tell me your favourite gay joke!

Are there a lot of gay jokes that aren’t about u-hauls and turkey basters on the third date? I don’t know! I think more blonde jokes would apply to me than ones about lesbians, honestly.

One on One with Lady of the Week Emma Bergmeier

By: admin

03-07-2011

fashion, interviews, Lady of the Month

Photography by Penny Lane, Beauty by Marie Princi, Model: Zoe @ Scene, Styling by Emma Bergmeier

Perth-based stylist and blogger Emma Bergmeier captures the understated beauty of Western Australian fashion and photography. Her blog Dropstitch is a visual treat for those with a giddy obsession for all things deliciously feminine, floral and dreamy. Think of it as a decadent cream bun with smatterings of lush Characterised by a distinctly Australian lilt, Dropstitch is a celebration of emerging talent, of which Emma is surely a part. I chose her as Lady of the Week, and this is the mini interview I did with her.

What do you love most about Perth fashion?

I love that Perth fashion is playful. Designers such as Jaime Lee,
Antipodium and Poppy Lissiman exemplify this with their amazing
collections, constantly pushing boundaries and encouraging us to have
fun with what we wear. The fashion scene here is also incredibly
welcoming - it's not so much competitive as it is supportive. There's
a great community of creative people living here.

What do you do as your day job?

I have two day jobs - by day I'm the Arts & Fashion Editor of
X-Press Magazine and by night I'm the Creative Director of All Of The
Above, an agency that represents photographers, stylists, hair and
makeup artists based in Perth.

When did you start Dropstitch?

I started Dropstitch about four years ago I think... although it
could be longer - feels like I've been blogging forever! In the
however-many-years-its-been since I started blogging the focus of
Dropstitch has changed a lot to reflect what I'm doing in life. It's
gone from being a street fashion photography site to being more of a
personal blog about my life as a stylist.

What are you most passionate about?

I'm most passionate about supporting the industry which has
supported me. The WA fashion industry is undergoing a renaissance of
sorts - people are finally starting to stay in Perth rather than
moving over east, which is what most talented folk from here have been
doing in recent history. As a result, there are more designers,
photographers, stylists, boutiques etc than ever before.

One-on-one with Lady of the Month: Jetta Vegas

One-on-one with Lady of the Month Megan (Charade)

One on one with Lady of the Month: Darling Stewie

One-on-One with Lady of the Week Jenn

One-on-One with Lady of the Week: Lauren O’Neil

One-on-One with Lady of the Week Tammy (Obnoxious Owl)

Lady of the Week: Natasia Langfelder

One-on-One with Lady of the Week: Jacqui Bradfield of April Rose Make Up

One-on-one with Lady of the Week Scarlett Harris

One-on-One with Olivia Mackinnon of Not Quite Carrie

One-on-one with lady of the week Meg Clark of Good Morning Midnight

One on One with Lady of the Week Emma Bergmeier

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