I've been nominated (eek)

So, I've been nominated for a Liebster Award! Thank-you so much Vanessa for nominating me. Though I've never heard of this before, I enjoyed answering the questions you put forward to me and I hope my nominees have fun too. Everyone should check out Vanessa's blog over at: http://frombernewithlove.blogspot.com. Vanessa's fairly new to blogging like myself and us newbies need all the support we can get. Anyhoo, enough of my ramblings. Let's get straight into it...

Vanessa's questions for me:

1) Which is your favorite book?

The Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer. If I had to choose from the 4 then it would have to be Eclipse.

2) What's your place to be at the Moment?

Locality would be Thailand but place of comfort, my bed.

3) Who's your favorite singer?

Luther Vandross god bless his soul!

4) When you win one million dollar, what would you do with it?

Buy my nan a new warm home, pay off my student loan and spoil my family rotten.

5) If you're stuck in an elevator together with a famous person, who would you want to be stuck with and why?

Rihanna. She looks like so much fun and hopefully she'd give me some more tips on style and her fierce confidence.

6) What's your must-have for summer?

Silky smooth legs

7) What's your favorite dish?

Anything Indian cuisine. Mmmmmmmmm

8) Which places you want to visit?

Japan, New York, France

9) Who's your favorite designer?

Isabel Marant

10) If you could do anything you wanted tomorrow, what would you do?

Start my own clothing line

11) What's your favorite season and why?

Winter - I find people more stylish when they layer. Their silhouettes are more appealing to the eye.

My nominees:

1) Alex Lauren Law

2) Lucy Elizabeth Hurst

3) Bergie Fashion

4) Kirsty

5) Cocoa Chelsea

6) Little Beauty-Bug

7) Always Alicex

8) Misses Honey Blossom

9) Escada Bloom

10) Yaras Little Notes

11) The Number Eleven (very fitting!)

The rules:

1. Thank and link the blogger(s) who nominated you.

2. Nominate 11 bloggers who have less than 200 followers who you think deserve this award and link their blogs too.

3. Answer 11 questions posted by the blogger who nominated you and also ask 11 new questions for your nominees to answer.

4. Notify your nominees.

Questions for my nominees:

1) What inspired you to start blogging?

2) Who is your greatest inspiration?

3) Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

4) Who is your favourite fashion designer?

5) Where's your favourite place to visit in the world?

6) If you could do anything you wanted tomorrow, what would it be?

7)What's your favourite season and why?

8) What's your favourite book?

9) If you was handed a million dollars, what would you do with it?

10) What's an interesting fact about you?

11) What makeup item could you never part with?

Museum of Latin American Art

Earlier today I visited the Museum of Latin American Art. It kind of already implies that in the title though, right? Currently, the main exhibition is Mexico: Fantastic Identity 20th Century Masterpieces from the FEMSA collection and consisted of various art movements that were important in Mexico during the 20th Century. An artist that might instantly pop up in your mind is Frida Kahlo, and you'd be right. Her 1993 painting My Dress Hangs There was marked off in the finale of the exhibition and it was my first time having the opportunity to see it up close. The merge of collage and oil paints took me back to the days of my art lessons, and inspired me to continue in my creative pursuits in life. I'm sure everyone else who visits will feel a similar surge of enthusiasm run through them too.

 Of course, it wasn't Frida Kahlo day, and the artwork produced from the rest of the exhibition equally measured up. If not, was even more enflamed with brilliance. Among the experimentations of cubism, surrealism and photography, my favourite artwork came from Juan O'Gorman. A muralist and architect I'd never heard of before, I was mesmerised by O'Gorman's detail on such a large canvas of wood. You'll see the piece I'm referring to below, where he incorporates Adam and Eve, hellish symbolism in the bottom section of the painting, and also animals journeying towards the Arc. I wouldn't really think of myself as religious, but I could appreciate the sheer dedication and pure talent which came from his fingers to his brush, and created such an intricate painting.

I hope you enjoy the photos I sneakily took in there, and if you're ever in Long Beach, California, MOLAA is definitely worth a visit.

 Gabriel Fernández Ledesma

 Juan O'Gorman (My Favourite)

 Alejandro Colunga

 Both illustrations were carved in using a sharpened pen and shoe polish

 Can't believe this was carved in to leather by a self-taught convict! Such talen

 Peter von Artens

 Diego Linares

 Rodolfo Morales

SPRING BREAK

NastyGal store launch in Santa Monica

Over the weekend I visited NastyGal's store launch in Santa Monica. You can probably tell by now that I'm obsessed with the brand because I've mentioned it quite a few times in previous blogs. But can you blame me? Sophie Amorouso is a talented woman who has a keen eye for fashion and on top of that, interior design. Her store's layout, much like her first shop on Melrose Avenue, is gorgeous and the fitting rooms were so cool but a bit daunting because the glass door, from the inside, is transparent so you can see people walk by. Thankfully, they can't see inside your room. Weird. Not quite sure how I feel about it but I like that she breaks away from conventions of other retail stores. 

The Hollywood Hike

I didn't think I'd have to say this again but, yes, I hiked the Hollywood sign for the second time! My gorgeous friend Josie came to visit me from England and she constantly begged me about seeing the sign for herself. Of course I'm not that much of a terrible friend to let her go alone so I went along. When I tell you though this girl tried to kill me!! After my first hike up the hill, we decided to take a different route to jazz it up a bit for myself and to cut the route in half. The shortcut we found was probably the quickest path we could have found which was amazing but it scared the s*** out of me! The hills were super steep that I was practically crawling up and down the rocks, fearing for my life. And on top of that, a woman who passed us warned us of her seeing a rattle snake. I can't even tell you the thoughts that raised through my mind. I could have killed Josie but we were focused on reaching the end. Which we did, in one piece!! The sights from the top of the Hollywood sign is amazing and I'd definitely recommended anyone visiting Los Angeles to experience it for themselves. Although, maybe take the longer route.

Soulection Event

Last night was insane!! A big group of us girls headed over to the Regent Theater for Soulection's event, Sound of Tomorrow. It was so worth the ridiculous amount of money I spent, as you usually drunkenly do on nights out. This was my first time seeing some of the Soulection DJ's perform but I'd seen videos of how crazy their crowd can be and it didn't disappoint. The energy in the room was contagious and I was dancing away throughout the night and got to watch my first dance battle in an LA club, it was hilarious! Jay Prince performed too who was really good and sweating so much bless him because he put on an energetic performance. For those who are probably thinking, 'who the hell are Soulection,' it's a record label collecting musical artists/Dj's/producers who vary in their musical genre but basically all celebrate good music from across the globe. Honestly, you need to check them out if you haven't already. 

https://soundcloud.com/soulection

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, the highlight of my night was of course getting a cheeky selfie with Esta. I fan girled so hard! The shame.

Megan x

Why I've been M.I.A

For the past week or so, my closest friend Josie came to visit me all the way from England to sunny LA. It feels like I haven't seen her in a century because of the time difference, and obviously the distance apart, so having her back has been crazy! Hence, why I've been a bit slack on the blogging front (cowers face). I promise to up my game in the coming days and have a lot up my sleeve to talk about with you guys.

Hope you're all having as an amazing spring break as I am (or easter break for you Brits). Let me know if you'd like us to document our days here because I'd be more than happy to do that for you! xx

(Jos thinks I look very Victoria Beckham esque here)

(Mermaid in Santa Monica - love!)

Book Review: "Their Dogs Came With Them"

In aid of celebrating International Women's Day, what better way than to introduce this heart wrenching novel by Helena María Viramontes; "Their Dogs Came With Them." Granted, I was required to read this text for my Literature module, but I'm so glad to have come across this text because it speaks on genocide in the Amerícas and colonial violence. More specifically, in East Los Angeles during the 1960s when Chicana lives were centred in turmoil and the feminist movements contributed to a chaotic questioning of their Civil rights.

           

The narrative changes every chapter, progressing from one female voice to the other, when finally the reader realises that there are four young female protagonists. Each struggle with different aspects of their human identities and grow to gain intelligence and moral understanding of their separate, though wholly similar, injustices. Turtle was my favourite character, as she (or I should say he) is a gender bending character that joins her older brother’s gang in an attempt to survive in the violence of East Los Angeles. Without giving too much away, Viramontes troubles the reader’s idea of gender and sexuality and in her own right, makes her writing her politics.

            Drawing upon International Women’s Day, this novel also succeeds in focusing on women as the breadwinners and provider of the family; opposing the conventional, ingrained notion of only men being adapt to fulfil this role. Not only do the women carry their own burdens throughout the novel, but they carry also the entirety of their families worries and it makes me reflect upon and admire the role of my own mother, as I assume many other readers do with their own. By the end of the novel, I literally had to fight back my tears as although it doesn’t end on a happy note, the significance of the turn of events are beautiful and made me re-evaluate the colonising effects of the past which greatly impact the lives of today. It’s so empowering to find women who still fight for our rights of equality, sexuality and human identity today.

Happy International Women’s Day ladies!!

Happy Holi!

For the past few years now, I've lusted over the images that surface the web around February and March; people splattered in vibrant colours and hazy mystical backgrounds. I came to realise the purpose was for a spiritual event called Holi Festival. Better known as the festival of colours or love. Originally, the festival is better celebrated in Nepal, India but over the years it has become widely celebrated across Europe and North America; thankfully LA!

A group of friends and I joined the event yesterday to see what all the fuss was over for ourselves and it was such a fun, beautiful event. Usually, if someone throws something in my face, I might take it that I need to leave. Briskly. But at the Holi Festival, it’s a way for people of all ethnicities, nationalities and creed to unite and experience life in a unique and mystical way. There was even yoga taking place in the centre of the field! It was way too hot for my liking though (around 30°) so I chose to watch in wonderment whilst my own colourful assortment of organic powders glistened in the light. I’d say for those who are wishing to venture to a Holi festival for themselves, best be prepared to part with your clothes because after some scrubbing, I’m still finding it hard to get the colours completely out of my top. Good thing I wore items I wouldn’t miss so much if I had to end of getting rid of them.

Aside from other festivals I’ve gone to for more music purposes, this one was great because you left feeling energised rather than stumbling around confusedly, dreading the journey back home. We must have looked a sight for sore eyes too because we don’t have a car yet so had to get public transport all the way home. The people around us tried really hard not to touch us when getting off the bus, bless them!