A King Was Born

52 years ago from today, a king was born. A king named Michael Jackson :) Happy birthday MJ! I'm decked out in sequins today just for you. I got my flashy gold shoes on and your tunes bumpin' all day. I even whipped out the sequined glove that I handmade in your honor last summer. I hope you're moon walking, "HEE HEE'ing!" and "AAOW'ing!" up there all day!















There are too many things I could say about the King of Pop, but I'll try to keep it short. Being a fan of MJ since... well, basically the womb, I can't even begin to express my admiration for this man. A musical genius, a humanitarian, a fellow victim of Vitiligo, and one hell of a dancer and performer, Michael has become one of the most inspirational icons of my lifetime. How could I not love a man that shares a fondness for all things that glimmer, shine, and sparkle? A record breaking musical and philanthropic artist with a heart of gold and glitter... Happy Birthday <3

Pictures of Success

After months of intense anticipation, I finally moved into my apartment in Isla Vista! To all you who don't know, Isla Vista is the little college town adjacent to UC Santa Barbara. To put it simply, it's about a square mile or two nearly completely populated by beach-loving, carefree, bike-riding, blatantly-indulgent college students. In other words, paradise. Also known as my home :) I am especially stoked about living so close to the ocean this year, my second year of college! I didn't officially move in, which won't be happening until next week; but I did load up a truck full of furniture, clothes, and art supplies to bring to my apartment with my papa. It was a shame that both my roommates were elsewhere this weekend. I was really looking forward to seeing them! Special thanks to Christian for helping load the truck and Dustin for assisting me in the unloading process. And of course to my dear ol' dad Randy, who made today possible!

The second we arrived, I felt at home. With the car window open, I was delighted by the breeze that Walnut, my home town, has been greatly lacking. The weather is honestly perfect up there. I feel at equilibrium with my environment when I'm in Santa Barbara. The moving process wasn't too bad either. I'd say, the easiest move of all past experiences. Probably because I barely unpacked after coming home for summer, which saved me loads of work. I even got to catch up with my homegurl TerBear. We engaged in a fat gossip sesh as my dad assembled my bed, after he forbade me from assisting him due to my many earlier assembly fuck-ups. Woops! I didn't bring my camera to document my trip, because 1) I was bumming it big time today :p and 2) I don't want to take pictures until every detail of the move is complete. In the mean time, here's a little camera phone tease:

After a grueling (I'm just being dramatic~), but worth it, couple of hours, Pops and I had dinner at Silver Greens. Love love love. I had a seared ahi tuna salad and a fresh squeezed berry lemonade. Even more love! To complete the feel-good atmosphere, Hang Me Up To Dry by Cold War Kids came on while I chowed, and I started having serious flash backs to last year. That song was a huge staple in my freshmen college experience. As I ate, I reeled through thoughts about how successful today was :) However, I was somewhat dreading the long 132 mile drive home.

To my surprise, the trip back was quite satisfying, all thanks to Cronus! That is, my iPod touch. It's name is meant to signify the Greek name for Saturn, the sixth planet. The symbolism lies in the fact that Cronus is my sixth iPod. Yes, I realize that sounds ridiculous, but keep in mind two out of those six were free warranty replacements. I've gone from a green iPod mini, to three separate black iPod videos, and then to two iPod touches. My ipod track record is a tragic and lengthy tale, whose details I will spare you, but I digress...

Back to the reason Cronus made my day complete. Is it just me, or does the quality of songs on shuffle often correspond to the nature of your mood? Today was a great example of that. After listening to, and subsequently getting sick of, my iPod playlists, I decided to give shuffle a chance. Good move. I didn't press next once, not once! For me, this was a rare occurrence, as well as an indication of happiness :) I don't even think it was my mood that caused me to appreciate every single song that came on. It was honestly the best sequential bunch of shuffled songs I've heard in a long time. So many of my favorite feel-good songs and artists kept popping up that I couldn't help but smile with each and every song change. I feel compelled to post the exact list of songs that got me through that long dark ride home. Enjoy!

1) Hallelujah - Vitamin String Quartet
2) Get Your Freak On - Missy Elliot
3) P.Y.T. - Michael Jackson
4) Morning After Dark - Timbaland feat. SoShy & Nelly Furtado
5) Kids (Afterschool Dance Megamix) - MGMT
6) Mr. Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra 
7) Help! - The Beatles
8) Who Says - John Mayer
9) Reckless - Crystal Castles
10) Faker - Miike Snow
11) Web 20/20 - The Roots
12) Cooler Than Me (Skeet Skeet's Ay! Edit) - Mike Posner
13) German Love - Starfucker
14) Tiny Vessels - Death Cab For Cutie
15) Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You - Lauryn Hill
16) I'm Just A Girl - No Doubt
17) So High - John Legend feat. Lauryn Hill
18) Mr. Me 2 - Asher Roth
19) Bonkers (Club Mix) - Dizzee Rascal & Armand Van Helden
20) Somebody To Love (A Tribute to Queen) - Vitamin String Quartet
21) Pictures Of Success - Rilo Kiley

I was so incredibly and genuinely happy when Pictures Of Success came on. It was literally the perfect song to end the day. Not only is it one of my most cherished Rilo Kiley songs... ever, but it was tremendously appropriate.

I'm ready to go
Ready to go
Ready to go
Ready to go
I'm ready to go

These are times that can't be weathered and
We have never been back there since then

I'm ready to go live my life in Santa Barbara this coming school year. I honestly couldn't be more ready. These are times that can't be weathered, times known as my college years. Years that are supposed to be the best years of my life. I'm ready to fulfill that notion. I'm ready to go and leave my old life in my parents' sheltered home. I'm ready to go live in "My First Place". A new life, on my own, in a real apartment, like a real adult. My teen years are coming to a close in exactly 6 months. It's all so surreal. But I know once I do some more growing up this year and find myself quickly approaching adulthood, I'll be able to look back on my childhood and say "I have never been back there since then".

Gaga Ooh La La

Yesterday, I went to Buffalo Wild Wings for Tuesday $0.50 wings and received quite the awesome free crown that read "BACK OFF! I'm Blazin'" ...which I found absolutely priceless. Does it not have a striking resemblance to the crown Lady Gaga wore in the Bad Romance music video? So of course, I thought I'd make further use of it in a Gaga-inspired photo shoot. Needless to say, I'm a Little Monster for life. Gaga to the grave!

Light Show

Here are some experimental slow shutter shots of me and some friends messing around with light orbits in a dark room. Psychedelic fun.

I love red & blue together. The combination reminds me of old school 3D glasses.

Electric Feel

This one sort of reminds me of the four seasons. Red = Fall, Blue = Winter, Green = Spring, Blue & Pink = Summer. I don't know, maybe its just me?

Happy Thrifting!

On Tuesday, I was finally able to have my much-anticipated play date with the Liang sisters: Rosana, Pricilla, and Vicky! Our primary mission of the day was to go on a thrift store hunt, something I haven't done in so long. We were more than successful! Driving around Pomona, CA, we were able to find a cool vintage bookstore, an overpriced vintage clothing store, and a cheap shoe warehouse. We visited most of the stores to soak up their air conditioning, rather than to purchase anything. I mean, it was scorching outside! But I guess that's Cali, right? Needless to say, that was how it went until we reached the Veteran's Thrift Store! I would have rummaged around that store if it was a sauna in there, the deals were just unbelievable! Here are my top 3 purchases of the day:

3. Jean for Joseph Le Bon beaded top

This lovely find was purchased at the wonderful Veteran's Thrift Store for $6. It's Jean for Joseph Le Bon, and is 100% pure silk. When I originally purchased this top, it came with shoulder pads that I later cut off. Must be from the 80's haha. It definitely reminded me of something Michael Jackson would rock.









2. The complete handbook of Astrology

Call me a freak, a mystic, or a fellow believer...IDGAB what anyone says, I was absolutely thrilled with this find! I found this baby at the vintage bookstore for $10, calling my name. I've been searching for a solid book about Astrology for months! And low and behold, I found the perfect one. I have yet to determine how firm a believer I am in the zodiac. I have convinced myself enough that there must be some truth in it, as I feel like I am the epitome of an Aquarius... at least from what I've read about so far. I thoroughly embrace my sign, which I suppose some would argue could result in wishful thinking. Who knows, and who cares. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. I know it sounds silly, but this has been becoming my religion haha. Freedom of religion, people! And now I have my bible :p I'm hoping to read through this whole book, study it, and finally establish an educated opinion of astrology.

A great Aquarian quote that I find fitting to my life.

1) Jacobs By Marc Jacobs quilted purse/wallet

Imagine my excitement when I, still enthralled by the many deals already in hand, came across this little shiny champagne purse in the Veteran's Thrift Store. Contemplating whether or not to purchase this metallic (hello, my favorite) bag, I decided to peek inside to check the price. Prying open the bag, my focus quickly shifted from the price tag to the gold engraved logo on the inside of the pocket, which read:

JACOBS

BY

MARC JACOBS

FOR

MARC BY MARC JACOBS

Now that's a mouthful. If this wasn't amazing enough, it was marked at only $5. The days when I'd think I'd never own anything by Marc Jacobs... out the window! Great day.

After this more than successful day of shopping, I gazed at my two stuffed "Thank You" plastic bags packed full of clothes and my the book that was opened across my lap as we drove away, throughly satisfied in knowing that I had spent less than $50. Happy. About to get happier.

Thank you Liang sisters for showing me Donut Man! By the time we were done shopping, it was right around snack time! We decided to take a little detour on our way home to this little windowed donut shop called Donut Man. Unfortunately they were out of the two famous donuts they serve there: "the tiger tail"and their peach stuffed donuts, the whole reason for our excursion there. Oh well, this just means i'll have to take another trip there soon :) I picked up a half dozen of some of their yummiest looking alternatives, but they were devoured before I could even take photos :p I must repeat this day, ASAP!

Collaboration #1: Maus' Doodles

Meet the Artist: Maurice Dimaranan a.k.a. "Maus"

This is my little brother Maus. He was nice enough to lend his artistic hand to a little art project I was working on. He drew a series of original doodles and drawings for me using paper and crayons. I then compiled his works and selected my favorite bits and pieces from each piece, which were then transfered onto canvas using various colored threads and a sewing needle. Every scribble was rendered in the same contour and color as the original, with minor alterations. I was very pleased with the product! :) I think it's a sort of new spin on framing kids' art. Maus' imagination is just fantastic! His sketches are truly one of a kind. Simple, innocent, and whimsical.

He calls me "Brie", which is my family nickname.

Purple Monsters Rule.

Virtual Reality

Dealing with the fact that I have to plan furnishing arrangements in my apartment while living 132 miles away hasn't been easy. But in this day and age, there's always virtual reality! With help from my trusty 2010 & 2011 IKEA catalogues (basically porn for furniture... better than a playboy any day I'd say) and the 3D room designer on MyDeco.com, I was able to design every room in my apartment. Three cheers for technology! Unfortunately, virtual design is an inadequate substitute for the real thing. Oh Santa Barbara... how I long to wander your streets, witness your crazy and wild inhabitants, and feel your cool ocean breeze on my face. There really is no place like home.

The Living Room / My Bedroom

The Kitchen

Alec / Anthony's Bedroom

Once I am finally reunited with my home for the next year, I shall post IRL photos. There are a few surprise features, not seen in the virtual photos, that I'm pretty excited about! :) My beloved roommates, Alec and Anthony, have already moved in. I am thoroughly jealous. Hopefully I'll be making a much-needed visit up to good ol' sbeezy this weekend. Fingers crossed!

Pilot Post

My name is Gabrielle. Gabby, Gab, Gabs, Gabbers, or any variation of those are fine too. Being that it is summer vacation, I've acquired an abundance of artistic projects I've been working on and figured I'd get back into my old blogging habits and document what I've been up to! Pardon my rusty blogging skills. Enjoy!