Have I Found You?

In one of my favorite movies, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Scarlett Johansson's character says: "I just have to come face to face with the fact that I am not gifted... I can appreciate art and I love music, but it's sad, really, because I feel like I have a lot to express and I am not gifted."
That's how I've always felt.
Until yesterday, when I stumbled upon this book:

I've always been into fashion growing up and knew I wanted a career in it. I didn't know what I wanted to do exactly, except that I wanted to open my own boutique.

Most people have tried convincing me to get into fashion design [ie: my mother and my high school art teacher], but I've never been too confident in my illustration skills. When I'd attempt to transfer my vision onto paper, it was as if things would get lost in translation. So I figured I'd just stick to the business side of things, but that idea didn't sit too well with me.

Shopping around, I'm always attracted to hand printed items, but have found the ones that I like to be on the pricier side and I've always thought "I can make this myself". Of course, I never knew how to even begin to go about it, but now I can finally learn. A plus to hand printing is that you're not just limited to canvas or a shirt. You can apply it to photographs, stationery, bags, the list goes on.

I think I just may have found my design niche. Now, I just need to go out and get supplies!

XO

Christle Nadine 

This Is Our Year

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A couple of my friends and I decided that this would be our year. The main reason being we'll finally be 21, need I say more? I have other reasons too, but I've decided not to go and tell everyone. I've found that when I tell people I'm going to do something, most of the time, I end up not doing it. Not quite sure why it's worked out that way. I'm also superstitious and don't like to jinx things.

We had our first USO of the year. It consisted of eating at the Boiling Crab, dancing, playing Taboo, watching 500 Days Of Summer [one of my fav movies], and just being silly - most of which was caught on video. It was a great way to start the year off and I hope it means we'll be spending more time with each other as the year goes on.

I also bought Just Dance 2 on NYE and played it that night as well as the next morning and night. Needless to say, my body is wrecked. I'm in dire need of a massage.

So far, I've already failed to take pictures of everything I've done. Here are the few I did take.

Hope you've already experienced a wonderful beginning to the new year and continue to have wonderful experiences. =)

xoxo,

Christle Nadine

New Year, New Post

Wow. It has been the longest time since I've posted. I created a style blog on Chictopia.com and figured why not keep my personal blog going as well?

2010 was a whirlwind of a year. A lot of wins, a ton of losses. From births to deaths [miss you Papa], break ups to make ups to break ups, new & great friends, losing some, losing the fake [I'd say that's more of a win], a year of domestic travels from SF to LA to SD to Chicago to Miami, and finally fulfilling a lifelong wish..meeting my dad's side of the family.

I've been very optimistic about 2011. My main resolutions are to focus on fashion, school, and always have a camera with me! I need to start capturing the moments, mental pictures just aren't cutting it anymore.

Hope you're all safe and enjoying a brand new start!

xoxo,

Christle Nadine

Lee Alexander McQueen

March 17 1969 - February 11, 2010

No one did it like McQueen.

Photos Courtesy Style.com & Instyle.com

Rilke, My Beloved

Well, it's been quite a while since I've blogged...


I've been getting into German poet, Rainer Maria Rilke, lately. I'm currently reading his Letters To A Young Poet, which I highly suggest to anyone! 
I found out about him by just googling quotes on a specific subject one morning and I came across this quote by him that really stood out to me:


"Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you because you could not live them. It is a question of experiencing everything. At present, you need to live the question. Perhaps, you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer, some distant day." -Rilke, Letters To A Young Poet


It was exactly what I needed. I was talking to a friend the night before about how I just wanted to know certain things that would happen in the future. He disagreed with my point of view. I find that I torture myself quite often wondering what will become of my relationships with certain people, what will become of my dreams. I forget that I should be IN the moment. Tomorrow is not a guarantee.


I have plans to get that quote tattooed on my arm in its original German. It will serve as a daily reminder to LIVE THE QUESTIONS.

New Year, New Beginning

2010 has arrived and with it, a new start...for me, at least. 
I've never been one to make serious new year's resolutions as I haven't been able to stick to any, but this year is a different story. A lot happened in 2009, a lot that I wish I could forget. So I'm really embracing 2010 and doing my best to make the most of it.


I'd like to get back into literature but stick to the classics such as The Odyssey, Picture of Dorian Gray, Siddhartha, Dracula, and A Tale of Two Cities, to name a few. My focus will be on European literature with the exception of Tao Te Ching.


I want to become more musical. Get back into writing songs, playing the piano, and voice lessons. I connect so much with music and always find songs to express how I feel, but this time I want to be the one to create.


I've been wanting to delve deeper into the world of film. I've seen three or four movies in the Criterion Collection so far and would most definitely like to watch more. I also want to watch more Fellini films, get into Hitchcock, Kubrick, and Godard, to name a few.

Fashion has always been a major part of my life but sort of took a backseat the last couple of years, unfortunately. I want to make it a point to effortlessly dress up everyday. And I definitely need to start accessorizing, a part which I've always overlooked when it can do loads for an outfit.


I'm going blonde! Scary, but exciting. Definitely need to try new things with my hair. I just got it cut and it's almost like an A-line bob on one side and the other side is shorter and I've got some side swept fringe. I'm thinking about getting the shorter side cut shorter. I'd also like to try a faux hawk, but I'm too afraid to look like a boy. But I definitely want an A-line bob with fringe and I want some lavender in my hair. Very inspired by Lady Gaga's lavender blonde.

I would like to get some traveling done. Specifically, Europe. I've been wanting to go back to Italy and Spain and spend more time there. I'm also very interested in seeing Germany, Amsterdam, Greece, France, the UK, Monaco, and Portugal, to name a few. I doubt I'll be able to see all those places this year, but it's always nice to hope. Money is tight, and I'm okay with seeing just one country this year, but I would just really like to make it to Europe before the year ends. It's been nearly three years, much too long.


My most important resolution is to make the most of every day that I'm given. I'm tired of wasting a day being sad and by myself. I want to give more of myself to my friends and family, something that I've never seemed to be good at. I'd like to become a better version of me overall.




-Christle Nadine

San Diego or Palo Alto?

Lately, I've been trying to decide whether to move to San Diego or Palo Alto. 

I'm finishing up my general ed in junior college and plan to transfer to FIDM to major in Merchandise Marketing.

Unfortunately, FIDM has 4 campuses: San Francisco, LA, San Diego, Orange County. This makes the selection process a lot more difficult for me because frankly, I'd like to live in all of these cities.

My plan, which I had just devised a mere 3 weeks ago, was to move to San Diego my first year at FIDM, hope to not get attached and move to LA my second year. 

I had been set on this up until this week.

I caught up with a friend and he was debating whether he wanted to go to college in San Jose or San Diego. I told him San Diego because I would be living there and such, but in the back of my mind, I started thinking about living in the Bay. I had also been catching up with a cousin of mine from San Jose and I remembered that most of the family I do have in California, resides in the Bay. Another factor, was the weather. It's been gloomy and cold in Sacramento lately and I love dressing up for the cold weather. I've always steered more toward dark colors and I love layering, wearing tights/leggings, and most especially, wearing BOOTS. I also really love Santana Row and Mill Valley, which I could go to both whenever because I would be closer. So all of this has got me completely confused.

Now, I suppose, I should talk about why I like San Diego. This is probably where I'll start to sound like a walking contradiction...

To begin, I love the beach. I could spend all my days there. And, of course, San Diego has some amazing beaches, to say the least. And these beaches have WARM water unlike the beaches in the Bay. I also love dressing for the warm weather. I love being able to put on a nice sleeveless top and some shorts with some cute sandals or wedges. I especially love wearing summer dresses. I love the sun, it always makes me feel so light and carefree. I have family in San Diego, as well. Except, my one cousin that I know of there, goes to University in Long Beach so she'd probably only be in San Diego some weekends. Another factor is that Disneyland would be much closer! I absolutely love Disneyland!

So all this has me discombobulated and I need your help to decide.

What are your thoughts on this?

                                                 San Diego?

                                                 Palo Alto?