Steve Damstra

I got a hold of Steve Damstra’s iPod and found an eclectic mix of interesting goodies on it.  There were so many artists that I hadn’t even heard of that I asked him to compile a summer playlist for my Dahlighters.  Here’s what the talented (and adorable) front man of the bands Whirlwind Heat and Folded Light is recommending.  Hope these tunes sweeten your summer!

01.  Chainsaw – The Ramones
02.  Barbara Ann – The Beach Boys
03.  Ride A White Swan – T Rex
04.  (I’m not your) Stepin’ Stone – The Monkees
05.  Brown Eyed Handsome man – Chuck Berry
06.  Why Bother – Weezer
07.  Song 2 – Blur
08.  Wildcat! – Be Your Own Pet
09.  Silver – Whirlwind Heat
10.  Hey Little Cobra – The Rip Chords
11.  Till the Morning Comes – Neil Young
12.  Broken Bricks – The White Stripes
13.  Last Cares – The Misfits
14.  The Dirtbombs – Chains of Love
15.  Hip Hugger – Booker T and the MGs
16.  Cripple Creek Fairy – Neil Young

If you want to take home a little piece of Steve yourself, you can find him here…

Whirlwind Heat

Folded Light

iTunes, iTunes

Amazon, Amazon

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color me pretty

Just because it’s dahlightful to dress up your eyes in colorful paint, and because I hear from so many of my friends that they “can’t get away with” fancying up their face in carefree color, I thought I would share my makeup look for today.

I’ve gone for an electric lime as it’s light enough for day and originates in the Neutral color family but, when used properly, it delivers an unexpected punch.  These eyes can go as easily to the yoga studio as they can to the design studio and they can even take you out on the town for an unexpected lunch date.

Come on ladies, you don’t have to commit to a runway eyelid painted from brow to lash to have some fun with your makeup – truth is, most of us shouldn’t go all the way there.  In the real world, a little color goes a long way, and nothing will put a twinkle in your eye the way energetic shadow will.

what I used
Make Up For Ever eyeshadow in color No. 304, Diamond Lime

what I did
I primed the entire lid with a light pink, natural shimmer then used my Stila double sided brush to apply the punchy shadow liner.  Today I applied a thin line of color to both the upper and lower lids, but often I simply apply a bolder, thicker line (covering half the space between my lash and crease) to the top only.

* To get the brightest color and best consistency from the shadow I wet my brush with water and then pick up the color with the damp brush.  You’ll find the shadow goes on with ultimate smoothness and creates the optimal opaque effect that you want for this bright look.

Finish off with your trusty dark mascara, and you’re good to go!  But be careful, there’s no telling how your juiced up lids will affect your mood, so wait a few hours before operating heavy machinery.

some things to consider
*Choose a color that flatters your skin tone and makes your eyes pop.
*Don’t get caught up with matching your eyeshadow to your outfit.  Bold contrasting colors are best.
*Too much is too much.  When choosing attention deserving eyeshadow, opt for monochromatic clothing so as not to compete.
*Focus on one element.  The old rule applies – if you choose bright eyeshadow, go with a neutral lip.
*Have fun with it!  You can always wash off any mistakes and start over.

For a breezy summer statement – take the styling into your own hands

When the summer comes, I’m often conflicted as to my style.  The trend-setting designer in me wants to maintain a big city look but the carefree wave-lover in me wants to go totally Wahine (Polynesian Goddess).

So, what’s a girl to do? This summer I’ll be expressing my own personality, conflicted as it may be, by wrapping my favorite fabrics around myself for an updated take on the sarong/pareo.

Sarongs are perhaps the best multi-tasking piece of clothing ever conceived of, and those of you who know me know how much I value multi-function fashion.  Very simply, a sarong is a piece of fabric typically measuring 2 yards by 1 yard that is historically decorated with ornate and colorful motifs.

Because of the simplicity of the pattern, a sarong literally begins as a blank slate which leaves the artistry to the fabric printer.  By using dyes and paints in batik or tie-dye style and employing the colorful weaving technique as seen in Ikat, the plain piece of fabric becomes wearable art.  Then through extravagant wrapping and tying, the fabric becomes clothing.

As interesting as the history may be, I want to concentrate on how to urbanize this basic traditional item by making it modern and new.  If you already have a sarong that you love and you can to this post for wrapping and tying techniques fit for any urban fashionista, go straight to the last paragraph, and enjoy!

Let’s start with the fabric itself.  I’m all for the oceanic tie-dye prints and the floral Polynesian prints if you’re looking for an island  look, and for those fabrics patterns you can shop online for a finished product.  Simply Google “sarong”. But, if you’re looking to mix things up and show your trend-setting taste, opt for a more contemporary fabric.  An inspired trip to the fabric store will most certainly reveal your inner designer and turn out something uniquely fabulous.

I personally will be working with some scrap fabrics I have on-hand in the studio to create my urbanized sarong.  That means I will be using anything from Scottish plaid prints to delicate ombre, laser burnouts, and cartoon skeletons.  I’m not kidding when I say let your inspiration lead you.  After all, the very definition of avant garde is ‘the advanced group whose works are characterized chiefly by unorthodox and experimental methods.”  Let’s goal ourselves at creating a statement piece.

A few things to consider when choosing your fabrics

• Lightweight woven fabrics with a soft hand and superior drape are ideal but a light jersey fabric will work if you’re wanting a stretchy drape in your fabric.

• Opt for double sided fabrics, those that are dyed so the color is on both faces of the fabric rather than those that are printed leaving you with one face side and one blank/white side.

• Choose a pattern that works in all directions so that you can use the fabric both vertically and horizontally.

• Choose silks for a city look and choose cotton for travel and beaching.

• Ensure your fabric bolt is wide enough to give you all the endless styling options you’ll want (1 yard wide is ideal).  If the width of the raw fabric is the proper width, you can always cut it to the length you need (2 yards for dress sizes 2 to 8.  Buy a longer piece if you wear a larger dress size).

• Go as bright and bold or as subtle and subdued as you want.  You’re the designer, go with your instincts.

Finishing your fabric

The best way to finish the edges of your fabrics, assuming they are delicate and drape well, is by serging a rolled hem edge.  If this is too much work and you don’t have a serging machine lying around, you can add a trim around the circumference of the fabric (ribbon etc) and use a zigzag stitch to attach it ensuring the main fabrics edge is folded back 1/4″ and the trim is placed on top of the fold covering its raw edge.  You may choose to add a trim totally for design purposes too!

If all this is too much hassle, simply allow your woven cotton fabric to fray evenly and you have no sewing to do at all.  For my upcoming Hawaii trip I’m taking that route myself.

For those of you who are really inspired – channel the traditional artists and hand paint or tie-dye a plain piece of fabric yourself!  Just think what a fun gift this could be too.

Turning your fabric into a garment

There are nearly infinite ways to tie your sarong, and you’ll want to defer to your creativity and take your personal body shape into account to wrap and drape in the most flattering way.

To get your juices flowing, check out Black Pearl Design’s video or photo instruction.  You’ll surely find at least a few styles you’ll want to start with and you can take it from there.

Remember, don’t be embarrassed to brag.  Send me photos of your inspired designs and styling techniques!