Pay It Forward

Hi there! How's your 2013 going so far?  One thing I decided I HAVE to do in 2013 is travel to Europe.  It's one thing I've been wanting to do for years, but year after year I put off because of work, money, and all those other little things in life that just seem to cut in line before my dream of traveling the world.  Maybe you can relate?  Not this year though, I put my foot down so the career, money, everything that kept me from going have to take the backseat at least for a bit.  I figured if I move out of my place in Los Angeles, sell some of my stuff (I also plan to move to New York this year) and store my car with some of my things at my parents house then I could manage to backpack through Europe for a month or so.  So that became the plan, the big plan for 2013.  

Rigggght until I heard about My Destination's Biggest Baddest Bucket List Competion where the winner will get to travel the world for six whole months! The opportunity to travel the world is one of my wildest dreams and deepest of desires in life.  So I decided to up the ante on my travel plans, the new goal being to enter the travel competition and well, win! Yeah, I know the concept of winning this is probably beyond ambitious, but then again ambitious is my middle name, well right after Nicole (my real middle name).  I'm not sure how its going to happen, but I'm trying to be optimistic.  So far I have 40 votes thats only like 2421 votes shy of being in the lead.  So my 37 followers, if you're reading this its your time to shine.  Yes, I need YOUR help and your magic social media skills :) In order to increase my votes I need people to share my video on facebook, Tweet it, Google +1 it, Stumble it, and Pin it to Pinterest.  Each click counts as a new vote! And you can do it at http://www.mydestination.com/users/natashanicole/bbb#tab 

I'm going to need to reach people way outside of my network and hopefully convince them share it with their network.  Reaching this insane goal starts with you. You are the first tier in expanding my reach.  Its simple to do, but that may not be a good enough reason for you to help me, I know.  I'm hoping that you'll do it out of the kindness of your heart, maybe you just believe in paying forward.. I can promise if you pay it forward to my by voting and encouraging your friends to do the same that I make the extra effort to support those working hard spread the word about their cause (be it about a blog, business, opportunity, whatever it may be) I want to help others, travel, inspire those around me and make a positive impact in the world.  If you have any advice for me I'd love to hear it :) Thanks for reading and for being a friend. You can watch the video I made below and CLICK HERE TO SHARE/VOTE YAY!

“The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences.”

- Eleanor Roosevelt

[xo] the garage gypsy

I need YOUR HELP!

Hey you! I spent the last four days awkwardly talking into my iPad in public places, filming myself run around like a dork, jumping of bridges, and editing through footage of Los Angeles to make my travel video for mydestinations' biggest baddest bucket list competition. Now I need YOUR HELP! All you have to do is click the badge above, scroll down to my video and click "SHARE" "TWEET" "g+1" "STUMBLE" "PIN IT" to VOTE. It's YOUR VOTE that can send me around the world, I'm going to need a lot of votes to win this (3000+) so I can't do it without YOU!!!! You can't over share, over tweet, in fact I dare to see who can publicize my video the most ;)

Your help means the world to me, if I win I promise to make the coolest travel videos and take you the wildest places in the world! Thank you! 

Have a wonderful day! 

[xo] the garage gypsy

2012 F/W LOOKBOOK VIDEOOOO!

Guess what?! It's HERRRE! Garage Gypsy's new lookbook video for Fall/Winter 2012 has left the editing room and been released into the wild!  We've been anxiously waiting its release since we shot it in late July, and to sum it all up - we just hope you enjoy it! 

I'm extremely thankful to everyone that had a hand in bringing this project to life and to LES APACHES for letting GG use their awesome new song "Little Rabbit".

Shop the new collection HERE & check out our website HERE

Don't forget to leave a comment and let us know what you think :)

[xo] the garage gypsy

Inspiration without saturation.

woman who inspire. i love them for they're grace and style.

my return to the blogosphere.

Holy Moly! My last post was in January?! Boy, does time fly, especially when you're having fun and working so much you don't even have time to sleep.  All in a good way though, it's true what they say you know- if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life.  I know thats easier said than done, as I've worked a lot of jobs (in the short nine years of hustling in the real world) and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have sacrificed my sleep for any of them other than making jewelry, doing something creative/art related or being on set.  That being said, I thought I would get back to blogging.

I hope you've enjoyed your summer and managed to squeeze in some awesomely fun things.  Here's a recap on a portion of the summer for garage gypsy :)

• Designed some new pieces for summer..

• Got back on track with the blueprint plan..kinda :) 

• Had a memorial day party!!

• Styled some of our actresses on AwesomenessTV in GG! Here's a look at the monitor with Bethany Mota in GG.

• Designed and pumped out an awesome new collection for Fall 2012.

• Took one of fall's new handpieces for a test drive!

• Participated in some trunk shows, this one was for our Melrose store.

• Took a trip to the Big Apple, explored MoMA (my favorite museum!) & absorbed all of the inspiring art.

DON'T WORRY it's not over! I'll be posting some more tomorrow, so STAY TUNED for MORE!! 

[xo] the garage gypsy

spring is near.

Here's a little video from the sale at Space15Twenty in Hollywood today :)

[xo] the garage gypsy

sounds.

new ones. for while you work. :)

Chrome Wings - 'New Lands' LP - 2011 (AMD008) by AMDISCS

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Golden Axe - 'MOON OF PEACEFUL PLANET' - Liquid Bacon - 2011 (AMDD090/AMDT023) by AMDISCS

Gabriel White - 'Relay' - 2011 (AMDD091) by AMDISCS

[xo] the garage gypsy

workshop.

[xo] the garage gypsy

a new love to filter through my speakers.

Adela Diane - my new discovery, so lovely.

[xo] the garage gypsy

its been a minute.

And I suppose it's been one too many, for it looks as though I have abandoned my blog, and I feel as though I've abandoned my jewelry design streak.  Thankfully, the christmas holidays are only a week away bringing my styling work on productions down to a halt, thus giving me some time to refocus my energy on being creative with my other love in life - garage gypsy.  Thankfully my pliers and materials have been sitting here waiting for me..right where I left them.  Now before I get started on my Spring Collection for 2012 I wanted to drop in and say hello - as if I know you'll be reading this :) - and leave you with a poem I recently found.

my ceiling the sky, my carpet the grass,
my music the lowing of herds as they pass;
my books are the brooks, my sermons the stones,
my parson’s a wolf on a pulpit of bones.
—allen mccanless (cowboy poet), 1885

[xo] the garage gypsy

creativity surge.

I LOVE perusing through cute boutiques just so I can stumble upon a few clever ideas to uplift my own wardrobe.  Not only do I consider this research :) but it tends to reignite my flame sending me back to work!!  A couple of my friends and I have made pacts with ourselves to avoid purchasing new clothing pieces for our closet for a few months.  [A] to save money, but [B] because we already own too much and we've come to the conclusion that we create a lot of what we saw strut down fall's runway with what we already have, not to mention it will challenge us to be more creative with what we've got. Here are few awesome things I came across upon the other day, that will have me pulling out my needle and thread! 

I love the concept of these shoes.

 How awesome is this flannel with the leather collar and shoulder patches accompanied with a single row of studs to each side?!

Leather and Cowhide platform wedge..WHUUUUT!!!

 I love they replaced the sleeves with a sheer mesh (I guess you can't see it to well in this photo though). Plus I'm just a big Led Zeppelin fan.

last look for LA fashion week.

This is the last of it, I swear!! Here's a few more silly photo's from last Thursday evening at LA Fashion Week :))  This was one of my favorite outfits that I put together, so I couldn't completely hold out on posting the photos.  I don't have any footage from the show or many photos from the actual runway show because I really wouldn't be able to justify posting a display of chippendale-resembling men parading down the runway in their briefs, or one of the Real Housewifes of Somewhere (Beverly Hills, I think) and her clothing line that looked liked it just walked out of Express.  No offense to those who shop at Express.  It's just that there is consumer fashion and then there is fashion.  Okay, I just made that up, but its true!!

 my outfit --->

Which consisted of an angular eggshell blouse from audry, a vintage belt, black nylons, a sheer skirt I created,  Jeffery Campbell's Lita and Garage Gypsy handpiece and turquoise necklace.

I loved the long flow of fabric down the runway!

my shimmery Jeffery's

another kind of gypsy.

This is going up a little late.. but better late than never right?  Right.  Okay, LA fashion week had it's ups and downs, hits and misses.  Gypsy 05's Spring '12 runway collection and presentation were pretty much a hit in my book for the night.  The rest..well, let's just say me and my partner in fashion crime, Vanessa, quickly skedaddled as soon as the pretentious LA scene made its presence.  As far as Gypsy 05's collection goes, it didn't earn its gold star from originality, but rather from cohesiveness and ability to feed into my current desires.  That being my undeniable obsession for sheer, drapy fabrics that hang loose and free from the body allowing the body's silhouette to contrast from within.

My outfit...up close and personal.

 Here we go..

&my favorite piece from Gypsy05 S/S Collection.

los angeles fashion week round 2.

Another night on the town at Downtown LA's Vibiana!  Here's look number two for LA fashion week, rocking my obvious fall obsession for nudes and black..and faux fur staple. Dress from Topshop, jewelry from Garage Gypsy.

Here's a little montage video I stitched together with some of the footage I filmed from last night's runway show for Alternative Apparel's Spring 2012 Collection.

From behind the runway..

..to Alternative Apparel's S/S Collection for 2012

it's finally here.

Sublime with Rome's music video for "Take It or Leave It" is out!! Pay attention to the accessories and you'll find some Garage Gypsy Jewelry!!

[xo] the garage gypsy

week of fashion.

After a long, exausting but wonderful week & weekend of work, it was time to get in on some of the happenings for LA's Fashion Week.  Last night I tagged along with my friend Vanessa, writer for V is for Olive and Joonbug who scored me an extra press pass and front row tickets for the both of us.  I'm still reminded constantly at how small this world is after running into several people I know through the previous jewelry events I've done, and then later realizing that the one of the lines going down the runway was my friend Kunal's line, Kareena's Trends.  I don't know how the world manages to pull us into the right places at the right time, but it sure has a funny way of making things happen.  And I'm so incredibly thankful for it.  Unfortunately my phone died after the first show, so my pictures are minimal, but its only the first night of a few more to come :))  To see the line up of events check out FASHION WEEK LA

feeling this.

First Aid Kit. A sisters-duo from Sweden covering "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" by Fleet Foxes.
BEAUTIFUL folksy music.

[xo] the garage gypsy

perfect words. inspiration for your workday.

..and they couldn't have come at a better time.  If you're creative being, I know you can appreciate this.

"Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”

- Ira Glass

[xo] the garage gypsy