Grunge and Glamour at the Gladstone

Consider this your official invite to the latest and greatest event I am very happy to be a part of!

A bit of history:

A few months ago I was speaking with my friend who lives in Toronto on Facebook chat (we were both slacking at our desk jobs, what can I say?).  We were both talking about our side projects-my fashion design, his rock band called The One-Look Donnybrook.  I mentioned I wanted to do another show in Toronto this summer, and he suggested I have The O.L.D. play for the show.  Over the course of several weeks, we had put together a pretty solid vision and had also included his friend Nick Sweetman, a Toronto visual artist, to the lineup.  Finally, as of a few weeks ago, Nick brought in his friend Marko Orlic to DJ as well.  And so the event was complete...an incredible collaboration that will showcase each of our talents with absolutely no room for boredom and only the opportunity for one amazing time!

So...come!  I can't wait to see it all come together :)

xo Amber

Expecting the unexpected

Taking a mini-break for some brain babble in the form of a blog post:

Starting this fashion line is the closest I have ever been to having a child, or I suppose what I imagine it to be like:  In the first stages, it's just so exciting!  I announce the news to everyone who will listen and want to shout it from the rooftops how happy I am and how great I feel about it!  Then, the full weight of the situation starts to sink in.  My entire life needs to change to fit this into my plans: My apartment isn't big enough, I don't have enough time, I have to prioritize everything, not least my finances.  Meanwhile, back hurts, I'm constantly wearing "comfy pants", and using my situation as an excuse to eat junk food.  I can't sleep and I'm always anxious about how it will all turn out.  What should be the name be?  Will I be good at this?  When will I see my friends?  So many open-ended questions with no absolute answers.   But....all those scary points aside, it doesn't dispel how freaking excited I am about it all, and somewhere deep down I know it will all turn out OK.  At least this is where I am at in this entire process.  Sitting here, surrounded in patterns, with a path to the fridge and one out the front door.  An empty bag of chocolate covered raisins somewhere in there too.  (I wanted to buy Crispers, but the crumbs would have been everywhere and somehow I doubt my manufacturer wants to receive these patterns with salt and vinegar finger smudges everywhere.  Gross.)

Embarrassed to admit this was not just my night snack while tracing patterns, but also (looking down in shame) my breakfast the next day.  Judge away. 

My new pet!

Do not be fooled, this is actually a sofa.

***Allow me to take a pregnant pause to mention in passing that I am not, in this stage of my life, interested in having a child, nor do I think I actually know what it would be like.  So much respect to the mamas reading this, because I know it's probably 100 times harder than what I'm trying to do right now.

I leave for Toronto Tuesday morning and can't wait to get out of Ottawa for a couple of days and once and for all hand over this work to the professional who will then somehow turn a pile of paper cutouts and fabric into a complete sample swimwear line.  INcredible.

Until then, I still have a lot to do if I want this kid to be healthy.

xo Amber