Hey, guys! I'm back! I know what you're thinking: "It's January! Stop talking about Christmas already!" Don't worry, it's not what you think. I don't even celebrate it - don't know why I make this abundantly clear online. It's not that I never celebrate it, I remember having a blast two years ago. But if nobody invites me to a Christmas party, I would just do nothing. Plus, Germany is such a buzzkill when it comes to the major holidays anyway. On Christmas Day, Firu and I came out to roam around because I was getting far too sick of rotting at home - much to Firu's demise. Nothing was open! It was like a ghost town out here. Seriously, how can these Germans not just kill themselves with boredom? (No offense, but come on!) Even in Indonesia, the most major holiday (Eidul Fitri) still entails the opening of shops and days out with family, instead of getting way too cooped up at home and being total couch potatoes. Maybe Germans don't really know how to be with their families outside of their homes, unlike Asians who can hang out with their family and be cool with it. But, seriously, get with the programme, Germany!
This was the outfit I was going to wear for Christmas - or in a post as a sendoff for you all. But for reasons beyond my control, this dress was within my possession only after Christmas (hint: it's thanks to yet another German enigma). As I've mentioned before, this dress was acquired through a giveawayfrom Fashion to Any x Kittenhood that I won two months ago. It was such a dilemma picking out the items I wanted but, ultimately, I picked 2 out of the desired 6 items. I realise just now that this dress is also the one Daria was lusting after. So glad I picked this number because it's such a comfortable and flattering piece. I especially love the quirky backless detail - despite my lack of knowledge in wearing a backless piece. Here, I donned a tan camisole underneath which was supposed to create the 'backless' illusion. It kind of failed but who cares? The scarf is the one I knitted for Firu several months back. Red, tartan and green: such a fitting combo for Christmas, no?
P.S: I love Firu's shots and love how he helps me even though he really doesn't want to!
Hello, people! So I'm back in trying to attempt the Illustrators Arise feature a monthly column. If you're puzzled as to what it is, it's basically a feature where I interview some of my favourite illustrators from all over the world. This month I am introducing an illustrator whose work I've seen floating around tumblr quite recently. Please give a warm welcome to the magical Nathalie Ragondet!
A: Hi, Nathalie! Thanks so much for the opportunity. First of all, could you please tell our readers a little bit about who you are and what you do?
N: Hi Bivi and Bivi’s blog readers. I am a French illustrator based in Lyon. After 4 years of studies in the Applied Arts School Emile Cohl, I started working in illustration, mainly for children's books (Flammarion Père Castor, Fleurus, Usborne…).
A: Why did you want to be an illustrator?
N: I never really thought or planned to be an illustrator before my last year in high school. I simply followed what I felt like doing and decided to study Applied Arts after my art teacher told me I should consider working in that domain. I liked drawing but, without him, I don’t know if I would have made a career in illustration that soon. I visited some art schools and I rapidly felt at ease with the idea of working in that domain is so varied, manual and creative.
A: Which are your most prized works so far?
N: None in particular, I am very critical about my work, each project gives me new ideas or improvement for the future. Sometimes I have the feeling to have made a step while doing an illustration, even if I am not satisfied with the illustration, the fact that I understood or discovered something new make it more special than the others.
A: Do you prefer to work digitally or traditionally and which materials do you usually use?
N: Both techniques have its advantages, but I still prefer working traditionally with watercolors, inks, gouaches and pencils. You can’t always control these techniques, it can be tricky but I like the way it surprises me sometimes.
A: If you have to choose between commissioned works, personal projects and competitions, which would you choose?
N: If I had enough time I would do everything! For the moment I usually choose commissioned works first and then, if I have some time, work on personal projects or for competitions. I like to discover new stories, new themes, and think of how I could translate them into images.
A: Are there any artists who inspire you?
N: Yes, just to name some : Ivan Gantschev, Carson Ellis, Lisbeth Zwerger, Jill Barklem, Quentin Blake, Kitty Crowther, Marc Boutavant, Marion Montaigne, Raphaële Barbanègre, Emile Bravo, Nicolas Marlet, Tomi Ungerer, Sempé, Franquin, Klimt... and others…
A: Do you have any goals you want to reach as an illustrator?
N: I would like to be more confident with my work, I have the feeling I am still looking how I would enjoy my work the best, which style I should use, which technique… I am not planning anything special otherwise, there is a lot of possibility in Illustration, there are many things I would like to do or try.
A: If you weren't an illustrator, what would you be?
N: I would be pastry cook, taste everything and be very fat :D
A: All right, thank you for your time! One last thing: what kind of advice would you give novice illustrators out there?
N: Well, we all have different stories, it is hard to give some global advices…maybe remember that we are each learning at a different speed, it’s not always working as we would like, when we would like, it can be difficult sometimes, but if you are motivated, if you pay attention at what is said about your work, if you are curious, you’ll find a place where you can enjoy yourself.
Part of the collective project "Jeanne"
"An Extraordinary Christmas" ("Un Noël Extraordinaire") for Delcourt
Pocket map for Geneva tourist offices
What is so incredibly immaculate about Nathalie's style: There is this inevitable harmony between the colours she chooses, the materials she uses and the lines she strokes. It creates a soothing feel as well as eerie atmosphere, accordingly. Yet, she can still work rather well with geometric structures and inject soft pastel-like colours into each object. The best part is, she illustrated children's fairy tale books, which is a suitable situation, given the fact that her works always seem rather magical - but not in a sparkly, Disney-princess kind of way, thank God.
"A Little Princess" ("La Petite Princesse") by Frances H. Burnett
Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to stop by her website. Also, check out the previous feature here.
Good day, lovelies! As it has been mentioned in this last post, Bivi’s sister is going to be a guest blogger. And here I am,
the sister. Ta-da!
I
confess, I stole the title of the blog from a song by AKB48, and it’s because
their sister group, JKT48 has recently adapted the Indonesian version of the
song and it’s all over the TV. But that’s not why I use the title, it’s because
I want to talk about summer. You may think it’s an odd timing to be talking
about summer during wintertime. But I have lived in Australia for 4 years, and
the season is a topsy-turvy down there, as you can see here. It was winter during mid-year and
summer during the end of the year. So no white Christmas for me! And from where
I came from it’s even worse (I assume you already know where my sister and I
come from). We live in a tropical country so it is summer. All. Year. Long.
Cotton On top // Girl Express (Kmart) shoes // Elle watch // Bivi's shirt // Arnessio Basic shorts // Mom's Sunnies (?) // Lovisa earrings
So
how do I cope with having summer when it’s suppose to be winter? It’s pretty
simple actually: you do what you usually
do during summer. Befriend water, go to the beach or swim in the pool.
Have some splash! Wear summer clothing such as summer dresses, shorts, tank tops
and flip-flops. During Christmas party or dinner, you can have colorful cocktails
and refreshing dessert that could also include tropical fruits. Maybe Santa
will arrive with his summer getup (Aloho-ho!). You can still have eggnog and
hot cocoa if you want, but minus the heater and a thick blankie. And to
celebrate New Year, you can have a party at the beach, the pool or even a
pajama party (for those who prefer something intimate).
In
the end, even though we got no snow and sleigh ride, no problem. We got pool
and surfboard. Don’t worry if you can’t wear your jumpers and cuddle up with a
hot cocoa in your hands. You can wear beautiful summer dresses and treat
yourself with tropical ice creams. And that makes summer at the end of the year
sounds good! Take care, Akita
Hi there! I'm Alexandra, vintage personal style and DIY blogger from Into the Woods. I am super excited to be guest posting today here on Alive as Always! This is a super easy DIY 1950s Style Headband project, that will only take minutes!
Supplies:
headband
hot glue gun
6x6 fabric square
Gather one end of the fabric, and glue onto the very end of the headband.
Stretch other side of fabric up to the highest point it will reach. Gather and glue down.
All done, it's that simple!
I hope you all enjoyed this little tutorial! It's a fun project, and you can make it in several colors to add a little pizzazz to any outfit! A special thanks to Bivi for allowing me to post for you today!
Happy New Year, everyone! 2014 is here! It's so weird, seriously, because it feels like it was just yesterday I wrote this post to mention some of my adventures in 2012. And now here I again to review the year of 2013. Okay, 2012 was great but 2013 was filled with change. Some I just cannot accept just yet and some I learn to live with. Phew, so here we go!
January
I did my first ever guest post over at JennifHsieh. There I featured an ongoing town-wide exhibition as part of my special feature from the previous year. This was the month I just got back from holiday and had to hit the books again. Saku-chan came back from Japan and bought me a kimono magazine, which was filled with such beautiful goodies and I shared on the blog. Also, it's this ol' blog's first anniversary! Huzzah! IRL-wise, there wasn't much going on. I just came back from vacation so I was looking for some down time.
February
This was the first month I started my Illustrators Arise feature where I interview Geneviève Godbout. She was such a lovely person and it was such a wonderful opportunity! This month, I didn't get to see Firu at all. My Dad's birthday came up and I baked cupcakes for him (well, kinda). He didn't get to taste them at all but I did take pictures for them in the hopes that he'd at least get a whiff of them. This was the last month of my first semester in uni. It was a lot of fun! I got to do a presentation on the Eiffel Tower! (Yes, I'm a geek).
March
March was a big month for me! First, the snow didn't stop falling. Also, I did a huge blog makeover and started selling my stuff online (which you can now find here). It was time for some transition. IRL-wise, I got to watch Lucy Rose LIVE in Cologne with Saku-chan. We both stayed the night at my friend Cindy's place, where we also hung out with her boyfriend Slava. And guess what? Firu came from Duisburg to join in on the fun. It was a blast! Afterwards, he came home with me to Kassel. I shared some green tips in commemoration of Earth Hour the next week. At the end of the month, it was the easter holiday and Saku-chan and I stayed at Firu's for 5 days. We went exploring places and met up with Iva. Yep, March was great!
April
Firu moved to Mülheim and after Saku-chan went home, I helped Firu paint his room. It was a lot of work and, man, I don't think I will ever do mural. But it was a definitely quirky design - actually made by Saku-chan. Everyone who first came into the room asks who painted the walls and Firu would give me the stage. This was the month I met Jana in Frankfurt, when I went there as a favour to a friend. It was so fun and enlightening to hang out with someone so wise. The snow finally stopped falling and the cherry blossoms started blooming. With it came Saku-chan's birthday. We had a little get-together, ate quiche and played cards plus listen to the Magnier brothers play accordion and keyboard. Talented people are just so entertaining.
May
May was filled with events! I think I got broke this month due to paying for train tickets and all. I saw Firu three times this month, which is super nice. I started thinking about ethics in the fashion industry this month. My friends Iva and Wilson (and Firu) came to visit me in Kassel and we explored the town in the sunshine. It was about time that they came and visit me for a change. Firu and I attended the Japantag Festival in Düsseldorf the next week. It was awesome! We bumped into our friend Cosmas there, who we haven't seen in a while. Firu bought an onsen yukata there and I bought an uchiwa - which he then stole from me ( ¬__¬) Sadly, it was a cloudy and windy day and we wore minimal clothing. The fireworks display was so beautiful. We had to ride home with the football fans afterwards, though, since it was also the same day as the final match of the Champion League.
June
We went to the Sportfest event in Karlsruhe this month. And, by we, I mean pretty much everyone I know on this side of the world. I got reunited with some friends - like Divina - and made new ones. Also, I got to go back to my favourite town in this whole world. It's changed a lot that I could barely recognise it anymore but I still loved it ♥ I also made Firu DIY shoes for his birthday the next month and a video of it in-the-making. There was this small Grand Prix event in memorial of Rudolf Caracciola in Kassel at the end of the month, which I attended and told my brother about. He was so excited about it - he's coocoo for cars. It was kind of fun to look at various old-timer cars passing through. Though I wished I could've ridden on one too.
July
July means my boy's birthday! I can't believe he is 20 already! He is growing up so fast. We had a little get together at his place with some of his friends. I made some new friends! The next day, we went to a BBQ party and hung out with more friends. It was the best weekend! July also means our third anniversary. We didn't get to spend time together this year but I would soon see him afterwards. These past three years have been amazing. This year I got to take a peek at the Rundgang Exhibition, which is a collective exhibition held every year by my art school. I saw plenty of incredible artworks - including some of my friends' - and I'm so proud to know them. Afterwards, I went over to Firu's and we visited our friend Cosmas in Aachen. We've never been there before but I fell instantly in love with the town. It is so beautiful and still pretty traditional! It was a quick trip but it was good while it lasted.
August
August was such a crazy month! I only spent a fourth of it at home. Three out of four weekends were spent on the road to or from home. It was filled with sunny days and insane adventures. First of all, Galuh came to Germany. After putting her stuff at my place, we took off to Firu's to celebrate Eidul Fitr together with some friends. I had to wrestle two whole chickens to cook Opor for everyone. The next weekend, Galuh and I hopped on a train to go to my place for a week. Firu later on came along and we both went to Iva's place for a week while she babysat her friends' cat and dog. Edwin and Wilson met with us halfway. We explored some places and cooked so many dishes. It felt like the good ol' days again! Three days after we got back, I tooka trip to Bielefeld to see my high school best friend Cynthia. Oh, God, how I've missed her! We ended up just talking while goofing around the uni there but it was so nice to catch up, though only for a few hours. The last weekend of the month, Galuh and I went on a little picnic at the Wilhelmshöhe Park. Too bad it got rained out. It was good while it lasted, though.
September
After the insane and hectic August, the days grew more mundane and uneventful. Nothing major happened in September. The month started with me losing Galuh as a roommate and gaining a new roommate - who is actually my old roommate from Karlsruhe - Adit. Then I found out that two of my friends became a couple. I shared about ethical fashion again this month. And I received my favourite shirt from Firu. Oh, I love how he looked in it! I finished the scarf I knitted for Firu and myself. Now it is my favourite scarf ever. I'm so glad I knitted it and thinking of doing it again next year - or maybe even sometime soon.
October
Favourite month of the year alert! Sadly, this was also the month of permanent change. At the beginning of the month, Firu, Iva, Wilson and I got together at Firu's place and explored some places - including Venlo. It was a farewell activity for Wilson since he went back permanently to Indonesia. As I'm looking through all our pictures together, I miss this guy and our memories. Funny, I realise just now we're not going to have fun the way we used to anymore. I also finished re-vamping my room and gave you guys a room tour. This year's birthday was also a lot of fun. Firu came and we threw a small party with some friends. It's nice catching up with my oldest friend, Shasti. Obviously, the month went out with a bang as my roommates and I attended my first ever Halloween party! It was such a blast and I didn't drink any alcohols!
November
November was yet another quiet and laid-back month. I cooked a lot this month and posted two recipes, Pumpkin Spice Banana Muffin and Lasagna 4 Sehat 5 Sempurna. This was the month I applied for a part-time job and got rejected. The highlight of the month was the Ladies Flea Market held by the university. There were some seriously adorable items. Sadly, my budget could not afford all of them. But I did go home with a few cute items. Saku-chan who came with me also went home with a beauty of her choice. This was also a busy month for my store. I made three sales this month (usually barely even one).
December
Ah, the last month of the year. This is the month that flew right by but also wasn't quick enough. The busiest month of the semester. Three out of four weeks, I was greeted with presentations and a final exam. But I still managed to have fun by visiting my friend Kumi's exhibition as well as swapping some clothes at the Outfit Swap Party held by the student council of my department. It was plenty fun but I was giddy to spend time with my beloved all month! During the holiday, I 'hosted' - and am actually still hosting - a guest-blogging thing. You can already read some of the posts here. New Year's Eve with some friends - as usual - and I cannot be happier!
This year was about change, about goodbyes and hellos - sometimes simultaneously. Sometimes it's a farewell to a friend, sometimes it's a parting with a certain view I held on to. I wouldn't say this was a bad year. It certainly was a 'real' year, a wake up call, a slap in the face at times. A lot of exciting things happened to me this year and a lot of exciting things ended with the year as well. I guess, since 2011, I've been regarding this life as an endless vacation. But it's not. And 2013 made me realise that. It's hard work and filled with misery at times too - though I guess these pictures don't depict that (haha). Let's go to the score boards:
Become financially responsible (as well as mentally etc. too, though) ✓
Become more artistically involved in anything (projects, competitions, etc.) ✓
Learn to love Firu right and stay in a loving relationship with him ♥ ✓✓
Go through with the semester abroad program (find out the infos first)
Experiment more with photography! ✓
Since all these goals are vague, let me just tell you what I did. I learnt to shop less and even did a budget count for clothes three months ago. I did start doing Pilates every week so I'm also being physically responsible. I've started drawing a lot again and am currently taking a portfolio class so #2 is officially accomplished. Obviously, I'm still in a loving relationship with Firu and learn to grow up ♥ The semester abroad program is a lot more expensive than I thought plus there's barely any information for foreign students. But I might get back to that later. I did take plenty of photos this year and tried different editing methods as well as compositions. Check! Now, here are my new resolutions:
Find a different source of income (preferably a job)
Open an (online) print store
Obviously, stay in a loving relationship with Firu
Experiment more in the kitchen
Be happy
Crossing my fingers that 2014 will be incredible. Do you guys have any resolutions? Do tell!
