Day 13, Person 13

It was a random outing as always with Mary and I.

Mary has this thing where she has a hard time saying no and I'm just a compulsive person.

[ I always feel like I always leave out our third blog partner, Sona, but obviously she's been MIA for the whole entire summer so she can deal. ]

Anyway, Mary and I were headed to this local Mexican restaurant called Polvos on South 1st street with some of our friends, and we ran into this girl after we parked in the farthest parking space available from the restaurant.

Meet Jenna,

Name: Jenna
School: University of Texas at Austin for Graduate Degree
Major: Art Direction
Wearing: Boots from Staple, Dress from Little Shop, Earrings from New York, Ring from God Mother (heirloom)
Current Obsession: Edward Sharpe, Jane, Cowboy Boots with Bicycles, Patterns of All Sorts, Vintage Wallpapers.



She has also interned in New York with Havaianas in the advertising department and helped out during New York Fashion Week.







The highlight of the outfit was the interesting mix of patterns of her striped socks and the dress.

-Kaidon

clogs

The word "clogs" is just disgusting to me, but the shoe is simply amazing. They can make any outfit 100 times better. My favorites right now are these Sam Edelman ones.

Project Cheap & Chic: Amber

The first person for our Project Cheap & Chic is Amber McAdams.

We find a person and make him/her over. Essentially, we accentuate a person's beauty.

Meet Amber McAdams.



School: University of Texas at Austin
Major: Management
Wearing: F21 Skinny Jeans ($16); Gap Belt ($7); Marshalls Tank ($13); F21 Shoes ($18); Mossimo Purse ($10)

Amber is my current roommate and will probably be my roommate forever. I met her last year when we were randomly assigned to live with each other. My first impression of her was not that great. But … once again, never judge a book by its cover. I would say that she is one of my best friends at UT now, and a good friend at that. One of the first things I noticed about Amber was her style. I wasn’t too fond of her style, so Kaidon and I decided to take her shopping one day in April. From that day on, she decided to trust us. What I love the most about Amber is that she completely and fully trusts us. She trusts that we know what looks good and allows me to use my creativity. Also, she has a very model-esque type body, so she made our job easier.

Before:



After:



This outfit cost below $50.

We love going shopping at various places and love saving money even more. Expect more to come!

Usually, I like to conclude my posts with some words of wisdom - or just things that I notice about the world. I truly think that there's a reason for everything on this earth. There's a reason why you meet the people you meet. There's a reason why moments happen. For example, if I had accidentally clicked the update button on my roommate, I would have never met her. It's like that commercial "any second could be the second." Appreciate the people you meet because they could be your next best friend, your boyfriend, or your husband.

-Mary

Day 12, Person 12

I like to go to random places sometimes. In fact, I like to go to random places so much that I willingly volunteer to run errands with my friends - even when they don't want me to. Yes, I do this very frequently. After all, it's the best way to meet new people. And ... I love meeting new people.

My friend Julie and I went to Barton Creek because she had to fix her MacBook. People always think I have one of those, but you know what? I don't even support Apple laptops.

On a more related note, we were eating at the food court when I saw this very business casual woman. She looked like she was probably around her mid 20's, and I knew I had to feature her. So ... when Julie left to her appointment, I approached this person while she was eating at another table.

Meet Lyndsey.



Occupation: Accountant Executive for Trish McEvoy
Wearing: Zara Dress; Nine West shoes; F21 Bracelet
Current Obsession: Chanel clogs, Gucci handbags

For some reason, I thought of Megan Fox when I met Lyndsey. Maybe it's the long hair. Maybe it's the tan skin. Or maybe it's just that "important person" aura. Whatever the case, I wasn't too surprised when she told me she worked for a makeup company sold exclusively at Nordstrom. She started working immediately when she graduated from Texas State. Even though she probably calls herself an Austinite now, she is orginally from Dallas. There's just something about her style that reminds me of Dallas. I mean, I'm from Dallas, so I'm partial to Dallas fashion. Also like me, Lyndsey took a while to like Austin. After living here for several years, she grew to like Austin. She thinks that people in Dallas dress up more. It was weird to her when she would walk outside and see people walk around in pajama-type clothes. I agree.

Clean. Classic. Modern.

Even though we have our similarities, we also have some differences. Unlike me, she likes to read a lot. She especially loves reading Vanity Fair when she travels. She especially loved the piece about Dennis Hopper and Sean Lee. Her favorite place to travel to is New York, and just recently, she went to the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic was very different than the US. It is a poor country, and many of the villagers live in huts. Other than that, she really enjoyed the place. She liked the nice people, and she liked the scenary. When she's not visiting cool places, she likes to just go to Borders and sit outisde under the sun.

"Do the best with what you got."

-Mary

Day 11, Person 11

Kaidon and I were walking back to our respective apartments when we spotted a couple sitting outside Cafe Medici. Cafe Medici is a small coffee shop on the drag. It was one of my first coffee experiences when I was a freshman two years ago. Rather than going to all of those fraternity parties during orientation, I was a loser and went there instead. On a more related noted, we did what we do best and asked to feature these people.

Meet Isabella and James.



James and Isabella became friends after meeting in an introductory theater class.

Name: James
School: University of Texas at Austin
Major: Mathematics
Wearing: Short from Barney's; Shirt from Barney's Co-op; Paul Smith shoes; Tag watch
Current obsession: French new wave films/ costumes; guitars



Modern. Elite. Showy.



James is one of those people who love art but don't actually major in it. Installation of performance and surreal sculpture are two of his favorite types of art. He particularly finds interest in Louise Joséphine Bourgeois. Louise is best known for her spider sculpture, Maman. Remember the video game from 2000 called Pikmin? One of the monsters from this game reminds me of Louise’s sculpture. Ultimately, James just wants to be an installation artist and not have a "real" job. But ... what's real anyway these days?



Name: Isabella
School: University of Texas at Austin
Major: Studio Art
Wearing: Shoes from Urban Outfitters; American Apparel Shirt; Anthropologie Cardigan; Skirt given as gift
Current Obsession: Romance, infatuation



Textural. Dark. Lace.



Isabella also loves art and is actually majoring in studio art as a third year student. Like James, she also likes installation art. Ultimately, she wants to be a patron of the arts and is greatly inspired by pop art. When I asked her if installation art was similar to the artwork that people usually see in the Blanton Museum, she quickly told me that installation art dealt more with creating space than creating something on a canvas.

I know that I’m not a great artist or even close to even being an artist at all, but I love meeting artists. I study science or at least pretend to all the time, so I love it when I get the opportunity to hear insightful words from artists. The combination of art and science is what makes us unique as humans.

-Mary

Day 10, Person 10

I went to American Apparel a few weeks back. Even though I can respect this store for its simple and minimalistic style, I always think twice before buying anything more than $20 here. I like the store's preppy line the most. Call me boring, but I like the oxford button-downs, stripped tees, and pleated skirts. While looking at a few solid tees, I saw Rachel talking to some of her friends and asked if I could feature her.

Meet a few American Apparel employees: Ashton, Carla, and Rachel (left to right).



Ashton
Current Obsession: Anything high-waisted
Wearing: American Apparel shirt and shorts, Payless shoes

Although Ashton isn't currently attending school, she works with Paul Michell. When I asked her to tell me an interesting fact about herself, she told me that she had a silver tooth. It's true, I can't say I have a silver tooth.

Carla
School: Austin Community College
Major: Undeclared
Current Obsession: Mussels, high-waisted things

Carla is originally from Venezuela and loves traveling. One of the coolest places she has ever been to was the Amazon Rainforest.

Rachel
School: University of Texas at Austin
Major: Theater and Dance
Current Obsession: Pleated skirts, socks
Wearing: American Apparel skirt and dress; shoes from thrift store in Houston

Rachel recently graduated and landed a small part in Machete (directed by Robert Rodriguez) as a pool girl. I learned later from a few friends that she's also a model for the American Apparel ads.

Here's some Mary 101. Sometimes I like to watch movies while I blog. Tonight I am watching 500 Days of Summer. This is one of my favorite movies.

-Mary

Project Cheap and Chic

Our new project is called Cheap and Chic. The concept is quite simple. We help our "not-so-fashionable" friends transform into some jaw-dropping fashionistas. We don't want them to just change their outfits. We them to change their lifestyles.

So ... what do we do exactly? We take our clients shopping at various stores. We pay attention to cheap and chic clothing. Discounts, sales, and bargains - our forte.

A lot of people think I am very high maintanence because of the types of clothes I wear. In a sense, I am high maintanence, but I always look for sales. One of my favorite stores to shop at is TJ Maxx. My favorite TJ Maxx is in Las Colinas. It's the Runway one. They sell Gucci, Prada, Moschino Cheap and Chic, and Alice and Olivia. One of my favorite brands is Vince.

I really hope we change lives.

Vivo

You know what's so great about Austin? It's home to a million eclectic restaurants. Good or bad, you always leave with memorable experiences. After all, it's the worst ones that leave you with the most unforgettable memories, right? You never forget why you should never come back.

We went to Vivo, a Mexican restaurant, with my friend Anjali. On the outside, the place looked like a shabby, knock-off Taco Cabbanna. Nevertheless, it's true what they say ... don't judge a book by it's cover. I definitely think that Vivo is a cool place to check out.

I'm not a fan of Tex-Mex, but I highly recommend this place to anyone who wants to spend $12 on food in the company of soothing scenary.

Not many people were here that night. I think it's better when you're at a restaurant by yourself anyway. There's just something special about being there with just a few friends.

This was the view we had when we turned our heads to the right. Quite frankly, I've never been to a restaurant with such effective lighting. Notice how well the builders used wall space to create dimension.

The painting of the lady on the left is Frida Kahlo. She is one of my favorite painters. I did a 4,000 word essay on her when I was a senior in high school. I think she's a strong and beautiful person. She was involved in a bus accident when she was an adolescent. A pole pierced right through her vagina down to her legs. She began to paint after this incident.

The screens remind me of something Picasso would paint. For those of you who don't know, Picasso liked using very bold colors. A few years back, the Museum of Modern Art in Fort Worth did a special on him.

I like when different things come in threes. Whether the items are buttons, paintings, or whatever.



What's the take-home message? I like going to different restaurants a lot. I'll try to go to many more, so you all can live vicariously through my many experiences. After all, that's the point about a post about foods right? By the way, has anyone used Urban Spoon? It's so cool! All you have to do is shake, and it helps you find neat, new restaurants.

-Mary

I just thought I would add these pictures because I wanted to be on here too.

I don't really care for Mexican foods so I cannot be a fair critic, but I did enjoy the company and the overall setting of the restaurant. Lighting might have been too dim for my taste because I like to see what I'm eating but other than that, everything else was content.

-Kaidon

vertebrae

Molded using 3D data of an actual spine, this is a work in which the beauty of the spine is extracted and isolated. Each piece differing from one another, the spinal columns line up just as a real human body’s would. An incredibly complex, simple and beautiful pendant.

When I think of fashion these days, I think about accessories. It's all about the chunky bracelets, multiple rings, crazy belt buckles, huge scarves, etc. Here's a piece that Kaidon showed me that I fell in love with it! It's a necklace with a with a pendant of an amazingly detailed human spinal cord.

Happy 4th of July!

My whole life, I have never really celebrated this holiday. I have never had a cookout, firework fun, or family get-togethers. I probably went to go watch a few firework displays with my parents when I was a little girl once or twice. But ... that's it. We don't celebrate many things.

I'm in Austin this year for the holiday weekend. Kaidon and I went to brunch with our friend Shristi Devu (day 5, person 5). She introduced us to Taverna's, a restaurant downtown Austin somewhere. If you come before 3, Taverna's has $1 Mamosas - not that I'm an avid drinker or anything. Just ... if you're interested. I ordered an English muffin with pouched eggs and crab. Delicious.

Mary

Wearing: Gap Blazer; Zara Dress; Franco Sarto Flats; BCBGeneration Purse; Movado Watch; Macy's Necklace

Kaidon

Wearing: Gap Jacket; Urban Outfitter's Tank; Metro Park Belt, Metro Park Studded Clutch

We didn't do anything special just spent a quiet afternoon with a good friend. I didn't do anything short of boring that night either. I just saw a glimpse of some fireworks with a friend and got lost in 2 hour traffic. Making up trending topics on twitter is fun when you're stuck downtown.

Our frequent third partner in crime, Shristi.

I can't wait until next year. Until that time, Happy 4th of July!

Day 9, Person 9

Mary and I had a little July 4th Brunch date with our partner in crime, Shristi, at Taverna, a local Italian restaurant located in the corner of 2nd and Lavaca. We were actually planning on getting there earlier because there was this amazing soccer game that was going on (?), complimented with dollar mimosas, the whole reason why I was sold, but who doesn't know amongst our circle of friends that Mary and I define the meaning of "fashionably late"?

We arrive right before the cut off time for $1 mimosas and of course, Mary would forget to bring her I.D. You know? It's like destiny. Something always goes wrong. Regardless, the whole time we were busy trying to meet the balance between the taste level and price points on the menu full of unfamiliar language, our eyes were roaming around the restaurant trying to spot a potential person of the day.

WHAT A FAIL.

Every time I spot someone with an above average style (who am I for even to decide?), I felt like I was actually giving him or her more credit than they deserve. What's the word? Desperate. Nothing clicked and Mary was on the same boat.

It's like we never know which person we are going to feature. Well, obviously because every person that's featured on our blog is very "spur-of-the-moment". Every story I get out of the people we literally attack surprises me. This is one of the reasons why I love to loiter around and meet random person each day.

"Expect the unexpected" comes to my mind.

Finally, my urge for nicotine takes over, some people get it but most people don't. Actually, that's a lie, most Austinites get it. It might have been a sign but as I was taking a cigarette break, participating in some photoshoots, I spot a woman. I think her quirkiness and her curly hair probably did it for me.

Meet Laura.

Occupation: Pastry Cheft at La Candesa

Current Obsession: Luke Perry from 90210

She seemed a little awkward towards us. I mean I don't blame her, how many times a day do you ever get asked to be photographed and interviewed by random strangers? She had asked her friend to make her laugh so that she feels more comfortable. Her friend and I both yelled out "penis" at the same time. Which provoked her smile that matched her quirky hair and her quirky glasses and her quirky personality that went almost too perfectly with her quirky answers.

Whimsical. Quirky. Colorful

Laura is actually from Brooklyn, New York and she moved to Austin in February of last year. She also described the downtown of Austin too hectic during fourth of July and that she preferred to stay home and drink her shitty beer. I surely didn't know what to expect, I mean for one, I had work on 4th of July, and two, this was my first July 4th in Austin. I kind of always embrace the unexpected... Sweet and discreet rebellion of my own.

She described her perfect day as "waking up early, reading in bed, drinking coffee," then "shitty beer, patio and delicious food and laughing a lot." I'm sure a lot of us can relate to the relaxed and chillness of her perfect day.

Unlike most that pursues career that ends with many acronyms, her ultimate goal in life is to own an ice cream parlor.

All of sudden, her shorts made me think of strawberry sherbet.

"PENIS!"

Day 8, Person 8

We went to Coco's Cafe after lunch to drop off Kaidon for work. For those of you who don't know, Coco's Cafe is an Asian cafe that just recently opened on the drag. Unlike other Asian cafe's, this place is actually clean. The food isn't too expensive either. In fact, most people come to eat the peppercorn chicken dish or drink some of the delicious boba teas.

While waiting around for our drinks, I spotted an edgy/ exotic looking girl. If I can't distinguish someone's ethnicity, I usually call him/her exotic. Whatever the case, Kaidon and I ran up to her and asked to feature her.

Meet Jennifer



Wearing: Thrift Store Bag; Selfridge shirt; Target tights; F21 Knit top; Barney's New York Shoes; Toy Joy ring
Current Obsession: Toy rings, big gaudy rings; dinosaurs



Most of the people I meet go to UT. However, I think it's really cool when I get to meet people from outside of Texas. Jennifer is one of those few that are from California. Specifically, she's from LA and went to UC Santa Cruz. When I first met Jennifer, I thought she was one of those really nice and modest girls. So ... it made sense when she told me that she ultimately wanted to be a teacher and work with pre-school kids in the future. I think the world needs more of these types of teachers.

For some reason, it surprised me when she said she didn't like Austin too much. But ... I mean, I didn't like Austin either when I first came here. In fact, it took me 2 years to get used to. She doesn't particularly like the Austin style, or rather, the hipster style. Austin is one of those cities that you either love or hate.



Fun. White-trash. Outgoing.



Did you know she's part German and part Taiwanese?

-Mary

Day 7, Person 7, Miss New Mexico

I have come to the realization that when I blog, I have to listen to certain genres of music. Music, in general, has a way of reaching deep inside those places within us that nothing else can. It inspires, soothes, and (in its most powerful form) moves us.

On a more related note, Kaidon and I went to Barton Creek today to buy denim pieces at the Gap. All sale items were an additional 40% off. Here is a Mary 101: I never spend more than $30 on a single clothing piece. We went to F21 immediately after. Near the cash register, we spotted a tall fashionista in her patriotric romper. Seems fitting since it was 4th of July weekend, huh?

Meet Rosanne Dene Aguilar.

School: University of Texas at El Paso
Wearing: H&M Romper, Louis Vuitton Bag
Current Obsession: Designers, skinny jeans

Unlike most of the people we meet, Rosanne is not a native of Austin. Rather, she is from Las Cruces, New Mexico and is just visiting Austin for the holiday weekend. I really didn't put the two together until she told us she was Miss New Mexico 2010. I was in complete shock when she told me this. Not because she was some American celebrity that more than 1/2 of America knew but because she was so humble and modest about her accomplishments.


I was even more amazed when she told me she wanted to one day be a pediatrician/oncologist. Other than myself, I've never met anyone outside of school that wanted to be a doctor. So ... of course, I felt an instant connection to Rosanne. You know what I have realized about many pre-med students? They want to be doctors because their parents told them to. Worst of all, they want to be doctors because they think they can somehow gain some lucrative salary one day - and maybe save a life or two while they're at it. I like to think that people don't put me in that cold, cold category. I, without a doubt, would not but Rosanne in that category either. She has always been interested in medicine and helping children but solidified her goals after her nephew passed away from cancer. I can understand. My grandfather died when I was really young, and I always remembered him going to the MD Anderson Medical Center in Houston. It's always hard to watch a loved one die. It's worse when you know you can't do anything about it.

Fitted. Trendy. Classy.

Also like me, she goes to a UT system school in El Paso. When we asked her about another career choice she would pick, she said she was really interested in fashion. If I could ever desert my dream of being a doctor, I would want to probably be a fashion major too.

- Mary

P.S. Just in case you guys wanted to know, it was SUPER hard picking just a few pictures to put it on here because they were all too gorgeous. o.o - Kaidon

Day 6, Person 6

It was raining again in Austin. It's probably going to rain until Monday. We had this bright idea to go on a shopping spree with my roommate Amber. We went to Marshall's, Forever 21, the Gap, and J. Crew. I'm not usually a fan of F21, but Kaidon and I selected a variety of clothes for Amber. She spent $160 +. We have a project coming up called "Cheap & Chic." We like cheap things but love chic things even more. But ... this is for another post.

Anyway, we drove to HEB later to find a movie for our quiet night in. There's nothing like spending rainy nights with a handful of good friends. Good thing we went last night because I met a girl named Suzanne McDonnell as she was checking out her groceries.

Meet Suzanne McDonnell

School: University of Texas at Austin

Major: Studio Art

Wearing: Forever 21 Dress, Urban Outfitters Shoes, and Anthropologie Bag.

Current Obsession: Girl group from the 60's and 90's, and Western Style

Suzanne is originally from Bedford, TX. If you don’t know where Bedford is, it’s a small suburb near Southlake and Grapevine. She usually tells people she’s from Dallas, but we both know Bedford’s closer to Fort Worth. Funny story. Even though she lives in my neighborhood, she went to Nolan Catholic High School. Apparently, we also shop at the same Tom Thumb. Isn't it weird how two people can live in the same neighborhood and never meet until several years later in a different city - 200 miles away? Based on first impressions, I think she’s really put-together. But ... she begs to differ, modestly claiming that she’s mostly a “jeans-and-t-shirt” type of girl. In particular, she loves Western style things. It’s not every day you hear someone in Austin say that. Or at least … I never do. More interestingly, she loves bears. She even named her Border Collie Bear. In fact, she carries a leather bear wallet with her all the time. I think that’s really cool that people have fascinations for certain animals. I usually see girls wear certain animal pendants around their necks of owls, horses, and you get the point. Do people feel some sort of connection to these animals or something? Anyway, when Suzanne finds spare time, she likes to look at design blogs – ones about furniture and habitat. Oh, and did I mention that she loves to wear the same two rings all the time?

Easy. Casual. Gray.

I think it’s cool how much you can learn from someone in the span of 10 minutes at the local grocery store. I’m a strong believer in fate. There’s a reason for everything, and I think people meet for a reason. I never thought that I would meet someone I have never met before from my hometown. Even if I don’t really know Suzanne, I felt like we somehow shared some special bond … just because we were two girls in the rain from the same city out at the market on a Thursday night.

- Mary