I’m Back

Yesterday I received a comment that said, “I miss your blogging. Come baaack.” I was really surprised. I thought the world kept on going and that no one would really notice that I haven’t been blogging for the last two months. After reading the comment, I felt really sad, but also really happy at the same time. It made me realize that I do have regular readers that are interested in what I have to say or show which gives me a big smile. The sadness comes from letting you guys down. I’m sorry!!!

Before I go any further, let me tell you what has been going on the last couple of months. Before the holidays, I was working on my blog all the time. It was like this career that I wasn’t getting paid for. I loved it, but hello, I’ve got quite a few bills to pay. I’ve always worked part time while doing Sweet Fuzz, but let me tell you it was not easy! I was literally working like eight hours a day on Sweet Fuzz, then going to serve at night. Trying to keep up with Twitter (which I never could), Facebook, commenting on other blogs, responding to comments on my blog, keeping up to date with fashion news, taking self style photos, trying to get advertisers and do newsletters…not to mention just doing posts! It was like a full time job.

I started blogging because I love show and tell, and blogging is just that. Sharing information. It was also my intention to someday make a living by writing my blog. Like every other blogger wants to do! But between juggling the blog and working part time as a server and then in retail, it just got to be too much. I was barely making any money in my part time jobs and could not keep up with the whole fashion blogsphere. I wanted to go to fashion week this month, but unless I maxed out my credit card, there was no way I could afford to go at this time. The whole process became very stressful, and not really enjoyable anymore (which was why I started it in the first place).

So… I have decided I should continue my blog, but more as a hobby. I worked so damn hard on this blog, I’m not going to give it up, but I’m also not going to stress myself out trying to get into the top 100,000 sites on Alexa or getting my photos on the front page of lookbook.nu. Nope those days are over for me! Now, it’s just about sharing my favorite things with you. Enjoying life man, that’s what it’s about!

Also, special thanks to Melisa at Humbly Happening for leaving the comment that kick started my return.

Special tip:  My favorite skinny jeans of the moment are the James Jeans Twiggy jeggings.  AMAZING!

Antler Girl

Finally finished my second digital drawing/painting using Photoshop. It definitely took awhile, but I’m ready to start another one!

New Obsession: Hooks

In the last couple of months I’ve had a lot of changes in my life, most notably was moving into a new place and starting a new job at Anthropologie. Now that we’ve moved into our new place and I have an awesome discount at Anthro, the two have been very intertwined. Every day I work I see something new that I want. My latest is obsession are wall hooks. I never really gave them much thought before, but so many cute ones at Anthro and Urban. I just bought all the animal ones above to use as key hooks in the kitchen…

Antler and key hooks are from Urban Outfitters. The animal hooks are from Anthropologie.

Stuff I Want for Christmas

I just started reading the Twilight series after seeing New Moon. I used to read all the time and I forgot how fun it can be. I was recently in Barnes & Noble and I saw their leather bound editions which now I’m a little bit obsessed with getting.  I definitely want the Grimm’s Fairy Tales and the Stories of Hans Christian Andersen.  I used to read all those stories when I was a kid and I think it would be really cool to have it all in one book.  They also have the complete vampire collection of Anne Rice’s novels including Interview With A Vampire which doesn’t seem to be available online.  So if anyone is listening…

Gisele and Tom Have A Baby Boy!

I usually don’t do celebrity news on Sweet Fuzz.  Definitely celebrity style, but this news is just too happy and exciting!  My favorite supermodel and quarterback just had a baby boy last night according to People magazine.  Now some of you might be rolling your eyes, but to me this is really exciting news!  Congrats Gisele and Tom!

Photo Source/fanpop.com

The Fur Debate

I’ve talked about fur quite a bit here on Sweet Fuzz, but I want to reiterate how I feel about it in case you don’t know. Occasionally I’ll put up photos of someone wearing what I hope is faux fur. Sometimes I don’t know for sure and maybe that makes me a hypocrite, but I try to always mention that I hope they are wearing faux fur. If I know for sure someone is wearing real fur, I won’t put it up.

I think fur is beautiful, but I don’t agree with wearing it for fashion. There are sooo many gorgeous faux fur options out there, that I don’t believe it’s worth killing an animal for.

I’m bringing this up because a couple of bloggers that I really adore (I won’t name names) have put up photos of themselves wearing extremely lavish fur coats (that they have confirmed is real fur). It really bums me out when I see bloggers that I admire wear fur. Why? Well in this day in age, there are plenty of videos on the web showing how these are animals are killed so there’s no excuse to say that it’s not a cruel act. It’s a completely vain act. We don’t need fur to stay warm, it’s strictly for fashion.

I just don’t believe anything goes for fashion. That’s my opinion and you’re welcome to your own. Yes, fashion is supposed to be fun and I love writing about trends, but at the same time we can still be conscious of where our clothing physically comes from. When I post photos of faux fur, it’s strictly for inspiration. I hope that I will inspire you to be fashionable yet thoughtful.

I put up this adorable photo from Stella McCartney’s website because she has a strictly vegetarian line. No furs or leathers, but she uses amazing organic materials to create the same look and feel as fur and leather. Fashion without cruelty.

A Little Inspiration

I finally feel like my life is getting on track to where I want it to be. I quit my serving job which has relieved me of a lot of stress. I finally come to realize that while I loved the cash, working in a restaurant is not my cup of tea. My everyday happiness is much more important to me. That being said, I still need to pay the bills! To help out with that, I got a job at Anthropologie, which I adore. Talk about a great environment to work in, not only is everyone super nice, but I am surrounded by beautiful inspiring things. It’s hard to get bored there honestly because there are sooo many eye catching gorgeous little trinkets to look at. So now that I’m working in a place that I actually love being at, I’m a much happier person. Yea!

I feel like there’s a new rebirth happening in me too.  It’s great to be inspired by what you do, which has been lacking in say, oh the past 5 years!  Jeez…Anyway, now I’m just doing work that makes me feel good and promotes my creativity.  On top of working at what is a little slice of heaven in a retail store (Anthro), I’ve also been doing art modeling for almost a year now which I seem to like more every time I do it.  I love listening to the artists talk and honestly it’s like I’m getting a free lesson in drawing.  I used to draw ALL the time when I was younger.  I had a knack for it since I was a little kid, but somehow I got away from it.  I guess I got too burnt out, but now I’m realizing I really do love it and it might be something I’m meant to do.  Listening and watching these amazing artists has inspired me to really get back into it.  I also want to thank Danny Roberts, who’s gorgeous paintings and drawings have also inspired me greatly.  Do what you love I think is what life comes down to.

About this drawing:

This drawing is based on an old photo of Natalie Wood, one of my favorite actresses.  In case you haven’t seen any of her movies, her most famous are Rebel Without A Cause, West Side Story and my favorite, Splendor in the Grass.  I love to draw portraits and Natalie had such an amazing face so she was really fun to draw.  I drew it on paper, then took a photo (since I don’t have a scanner) and painted it in Photoshop.  I’m pretty new to digital painting, but I’m really liking it soo far.  Hope you all enjoy it.

“Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.”

I don’t why, but lately I’ve had a total Nirvana resurgence. It kind of came out of nowhere. I mean, I’ve always loved Nirvana, but it’s been a great while since I’ve listened to their cds over and over again. Lately I’ve just been in the mood and it made me remember all the reasons I used to love them. Also because of my internet obsession, I’ve been researching a lot about Kurt Cobain. He’s was always such a mystery to me, but after reading many of his quotes, it really showed what a complex, sensitive, funny, gifted person he was. It’s hard to believe it’s been 15 years since his death. I remember the exact spot where I was when I heard about the news. I was in 8th grade on a packed bus with fellow students on our way to the airport for our 8th grade trip to Washington DC. I just remember everyone was talking about it and we were all shocked and sad. Kurt, hands down had the biggest impact on us kids at the time.

By the way, I know that my site is mainly a fashion site, but I believe music and people are such a huge inspiration for fashion. Kurt and the era that he came from will ALWAYS influence my take on fashion.

Kurt Quotes
Id rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not.

Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.

I never wanted to sing. I just wanted to play rhythm guitar – hide in the back and just play.

I’m not gay, but I wish I was just to piss off the homophobes.

The duty of youth is to challenge corruption.

We’re so trendy we can’t even escape ourselves.

The September Issue

I was lucky enough to be invited to the San Diego premiere of “The September Issue” by R.J. Cutler last night.  I have been anticipating this movie for a while now, and I can definitely say it lived up to my expectations.  All I really wanted was a behind the scenes look at what goes on at Vogue, but this movie is so much more than that.  You get to see the real side of some very high profile people: Anna Wintour of course, Sienna Miller, Mario Testino and Oscar De La Renta.  The real star of the movie to me, was someone I had never heard of.  Actually I’m embarassed to say that because she has played such a huge part in making Vogue known for it’s dreamy fantastical lay outs and fashion spreads.  Her name is Grace Coddington and not only is she the Creative Director of American Vogue, but she is really the high light of this movie.  She’s passionate, emotional, hilarious and very, very inspirational.  I can see a lot of myself in Grace.  She puts her heart and soul into what she does and although it doesn’t always go her way, Vogue would not be what it is today without her.

It’s also very interesting watching Anna.  She’s very reserved, but knows exactly what she’s doing.  It’s an interesting paradox that some so petite and fragile looking as Anna Wintour is the most powerful women in the fashion industry.   Just goes to show that you don’t need to be loud or dominating to be a powerhouse.  You need to completely believe in what you’re doing and you can definitely see that in Anna.

Probably the funniest thing about this documentary is that the Vogue offices are pretty much like every other office.  People talk behind others backs, feel that they’re not getting recognition for what they’re doing, gossip and make a lot of copies.  Vogue is a very glamorous magazine, but glamor cannot hide the realness and the hard work that is shown in this movie.  I highly recommend “The September Issue”.

“The September Issue” can be seen in New York, Los Angeles and other select cities nationwide September 11th.

Michael Jackson Passes On

Some more sad news, as I’m sure you know, Michael Jackson died of cardiac arrest this afternoon. I’ve loved his music since I was kid dancing around to Thriller and Beat It in the living room. He is and will always be the king of pop. His music inspired so many people and he will always be one of my faves. Though he has been known more for his strange life in the last 15 years, you can’t deny what an influence in has been in the music world. Rest in peace Michael…

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Remembering Farrah

I was sad to hear today that Farrah Fawcett lost her battle with cancer this morning.  Farrah is absolutely one of the most influential fashion icons in American history and her signature style from Charlie’s Angels has come back time and time again since the 70s.  Even though I wasn’t alive to see her in her heyday, I always remembered her being a huge star, but most importantly, she always seemed like a sweet caring person.  Cancer is such a devastating disease and hopefully Farrah is in a better place.  Sweet Fuzz sends our best wishes out to Farrah’s family.

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Join our Facebook Page

Sweet Fuzz now has a fan page on Facebook! I’m really excited about this for a number of reasons. Number one being that you can get updates to all of our posts on your Facebook news feed. Every time there’s a new article, we will be posting it on the fan page which will then show up on your feed. If it interests you, you can click through to the article.

Any announcements (and we will be having some really big ones soon!) will also be posted on Facebook. For instance, we will be starting a weekly newsletter with style tips. We will also be starting a membership program in the next coming months. Third awesome reason is that we can actually see who our Sweet Fuzz fans are! You can comment on posts and let us know what you like and what you don’t like.

Just click on the icon below to join our Facebook fan page or you can always click the icon on the homepage as well as subscribe by email, rss feed or follow us on Twitter as shown in the still below.

Join Sweet Fuzz on Facebook

Fuzzy Flashback “Wilson Phillips”

Remember Wilson Phillips? Their first album debut was in 1990 with the hit single “Hold On”. They were the best selling girls group at the time and had a slew of other singles: “Release Me”, “You’re In Love”, “Impulsive”, and “The Dream is Still Alive.” I was about nine years old at the time and they were huge. I remember playing their tape like crazy.

Their songs are pretty much all harmonized singing. For those of you who maybe haven’t heard of them, their music is very catchy and happy. It always puts me in a good mood when I listen to them.

Wilson Phillips consists of Carnie and Wendy Wilson who’s father, Brian Wilson, was in the Beach Boys and Chynna Phillips who’s parents, John and Michelle Phillips, were in the popular 60s group, The Mamas and The Papas. All three of the girls grew up together in the 70s and 80s in Southern California. They formed Wilson Phillips when they were teenagers and were signed with SBK records in 1989. When the first single, “Hold On” came out, they were an over night sensation. “Hold On” was so popular that it knocked Madonna’s “Vogue” out of first place.

While their first album was a huge success, they later ones didn’t reach the heights of the original “Wilson Phillips”. The girls have since reunited to play some shows in 2008 they were very well received.

For me, I’ll always remember Wilson Phillips from that part of my childhood. They were great back then and I will continue to listen to them now.

Check Out Toms Shoes

Not only does Toms Shoes make super cute slip on shoes, but for every pair that is bought, they give a pair to a child in need in a third world country. The company started when Blake Mycoskie visited an area Argentina where he noticed that many of the children there didn’t have any shoes to protect their feet. Being the good guy that he his, Blake decided to start a shoe company that would give back to communities with children in need.

Toms Shoes has given away 140,000 pairs of shoes since the beginning of the company and this year they predict they will have given away over 300,000 in their one for one movement. One for one meaning that for every one pair that is bought, one pair will be given to a child. That’s a lot of shoes and a huge undertaking. It truly shows what giving people they are. That’s a lot of money that they could be making that they are happily giving away. How awesome is that?

Normally here in the U.S. we don’t really think of shoes as a form of protection. We buy them because they’re cute or we need a nice looking pair of shoes for a new job. For many children in developing countries shoes are just not an option. Many spend everyday barefoot. The main reason Toms shoes started this program is to protect children from hurting their feet. Walking is the main form of transportation and when these kids walk without shoes they are at risk for cuts that can become infected. Infections from soil transmitted parasites are one of the leading diseases in developing countries and can cause amputation. Wearing shoes cuts these risks dramatically. Also many schools in these nations require a uniform with shoes (something we take for granted), that poor families can’t afford. By giving away shoes, these children are able to attend school and get an education.

You could help a child out by purchasing a pair of shoes. Check out some of my favorites below…

Stop Armani From Using Rabbit Fur

I’ve done plenty of articles on here about animal cruelty, but this one just breaks my heart. According to Peta, Armani and many other designers use fur in their collections, but rarely do their customers see where the fur actually comes from. It’s disgusting and completely inhumane the way animals are killed for their fur and in this case it’s poor little rabbits being skinned alive. I hope that anyone who wears fur and reads this article will think twice about purchasing fur.

Fur is not glamorous. Fur is meant to protect animals from the cold, not us humans. Unless you’re living in the woods with no other way of keeping warm, why wear fur? You’re wearing what used to be a beautiful animal. The funny thing is that I’m sure people that wear fur coats love cute little furry animals like rabbits, but just do not think twice about where their expensive piece of clothing comes from.

Fur is not a fashion statement. Fur does not prove how wealthy you are. To me, I find it disgusting when people where fur. When I see celebrities whom I admire wear fur, it disappoints me. It’s such a form of selfishness. Likewise when I see a talented designer use fur in their collections. Why does fashion have to be so cruel? If you really feel the need for a furry coat, then buy a fake one. To me it’s not worth the pain these animals go through to ever wear real fur, faux is the way to go.

In the video below you will see where Armani supposedly gets his fur. Rabbit fur is mainly manufactured in France and China. These rabbits are shocked in the head, hung on wire hooks, and then have their throats slit. You will see that most of them are still alive after their throats are slit. Then, they are skinned. I’m not going to lie, this video is really disgusting to watch, but people need to know what is going on.

If you want to make a difference you can write Armani to ask him to stop using fur.

Giorgio Armani Corporation
114 Fifth Ave., 17th Fl.
New York, NY 10011
212-366-9720

You can also write to him on peta.org.

Find out more about Armani on peta.org.

YouTube hit “Kitten and Fawn”

This new YouTube hit might be one of the cutest videos I’ve ever seen.  Who knew a fawn and a kitten could be such best friends.

Peta Angel: Audrina Patridge

Something actually good is came out of The Hills this week. Now I’m addicted to The Hills this season like anyone else, but sometimes I wonder why the heck I watch it because it’s so filled with drama and negativity. However, this car wreck of t.v. that no one can keep their eyes off of finally has done something good. Audrina Patridge of The Hills fame, has become Peta’s latest spokesperson and this time it’s not about fur, but about adopting animals from shelters instead of pet stores.

This is a subject I’m very passionate about. I did another article on shelter dogs awhile back because I think it’s extremely important for pet owners to know why buying dogs from pet stores in such a bad idea. Puppy mills churn out millions of dogs a year to sell to pet stores. These dogs often have physical and mental problems because of how they were bred and the environment of the puppy mills. Dogs at puppy mills are often restricted to cages only to breed and puppies are often taken away from their mothers too quickly which can harm the dogs mentally.

Not to mention the millions of dogs that are euthanized each year because there’s not enough homes for all these animals. That’s why if you’re going to get a dog, puppy, cat or kitten it’s best to get it from a shelter. If everyone did this, it could save thousands of animals’ lives. It’s also very important to spay and neuter your pets as well to reduce the number of pets without homes.

So once again if it takes a celebrity to get the message across to America, then I’m all for it. Audrina told Peta, “I wanted to get involved with PETA because I’ve always been passionate about animals, and I think this is a great way to make people and all my fans aware of all the animals that need a home. And a lot of people go to pet stores and breeders to buy their animals, but you should adopt, so go to an animal shelter and rescue a dog.” Good for you Audrina. In the ad, Audrina poses with her adopted dog Speedy Gonzales (who is adorable).

M.I.A. glows in the dark at Coachella

I was lucky enough to score free tickets to Coachella on Saturday so I rounded up a couple of my friends and got there just in time to see M.I.A.  I’m only familiar with a couple of her songs, but this show has totally made me a fan.  Her music is so upbeat, yet definitely has some deep base beats giving it much more depth.

For me, I love when music and art is combined.  M.I.A. was a visual artist before making it big in the music business.  She definitely has a talent for bringing the two together.  The show mixed tribal art, 80s neon colors and 60s graphics. She also incorporated some rad glow in the dark outfits which really made the performance stand out. Turns out my friend knows the designer, Janet Hansen, who’s company enlighted.com made the outfits, so cool!

The show started out with a group of hip hop dancers wearing the glow in the dark gear which looked totally awesome against the dark background.  Behind the dancers was a very large screen showing a cartoon version of the dancers dancing in sync with the live ones.  M.I.A. came out in a captains hat and glow in the dark t-shirt and jeans.  The whole show was a visual feast for the eyes incorporating vibrant graphics moving to the beats of the songs.  The last song she performed was her hit Paper Planes and the crowd went wild.  Everyone was getting their groove on and having a great time.  What more can you ask for from a performance?

For just having a baby two months ago, I thought M.I.A. did a great job of rallying up the crowd and gave an energetic performance.  All in all, I was pretty impressed with the show and would definitely see her perform again.

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

Zac Efron’s Pool Party Gets Crashed

Check out this hilarious Funny or Die video with Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Thomas Lennon from Reno 911 (also Zac’s costar in 17 Again) and Nicole Sullivan from Mad TV, so funny!

Leo’s Eco Auction

I love it when people with influence and money use their wealth or name for a good cause. That’s the case with Leonardo DiCaprio. Not only is he one of my favorite actors, but he has consistently been involved with educating people about the environment and global warming. Now he’s auctioning off on ebay a chance to meet him at the premiere of his new movie, Shutter Island. Not only do you get to meet Leo, but you get to stay at a green hotel and with an eco car service to take you to the premiere. Also the profits of the auction will go the Global Green, an organization that combats climate change…

There are other items being auctioned off as well such as movie memorabilia like actual costume pieces from Catch Me If You Can and signed guitars from top recording artists. All these profits go to Global Green. The auction starts tomorrow April 15th and ends on Earth Day April 22nd. To bid on these items go this link: http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Auction-Cause/Global-Green.html_.

So what does Global Green actually do?  Well, they are involved in almost everything green.  They educate students about climate change as well as being involved in making schools more green.  They work with other non profit organizations to build greener cities as well as affordable green housing.  They are the leader in the green rebuilding of New Orleans.  To learn about all the other cool stuff they do, check out their site globalgreen.org.

Did I mention how cool I think Leo is for doing this?  I have to give him props.  Often times in this celebrity obsessed world, it takes a well known name to get people interested in a brand or a cause.  Leo is seriously concerned about the environment as we all should be.  No matter who we are, rich or poor, we should all try to find a way to make this world a better and safer place for the next generations and for all of the earth’s inhabitants.  Check out the video below narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio to learn more about global warming.