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The second room I decorated in Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer was for Goldie, the golden retriever. She's one of unofficial animal mascots of the game and has featured in a number of the boxes and manuals for the Animal Crossing franchise. To match her elevated profile, I kind of envisioned a blogger persona. Or that of a respected university professor who graduated from college at age fourteen. Naturally had to give her a laptop, as well as piles of books and coffee to drink. So far each room has been the same size which has been limiting in what you're able to do and how you can decorate it. 
The space is kind of quaint and full of antiques like the phonograph and suitcase which makes it feel like a vintage installation. I saw how someone else interpreted this room and well... my effort pales in comparison but I'm still having a lot of fun with the game. You can also revisit clients and change aspects of their room once you're finished. It's important details like that which add longevity to the game. More importantly this game makes me rethink my relationship with interior design as well as the style icons who inspire each room. In this instance it was Alexa Chung and Susana Lau of Style Bubble.
One of the nice things about finishing my thesis is that I now have the capacity to become a functioning member of society again. OR, I can avoid society altogether, by playing a new video game. Obviously, I chose the later. I've started playing Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer on the Nintendo DS XL, and wasn't planning on blogging about it but everything is so aesthetically pleasing, and a big function of this game is taking photographs stored on an SD card, so since I was taking photos anyway I though- why not? 
So uh, avert your eyes if you want to avoid any spoilers or if video games aren't your cup of tea. Like the name suggestions, this game focuses on the interior decorating aspect of the game, so for every room I decorate I thought I would catalog each and pair them with a style icon or cinematic moment which inspired each room. I hope you enjoy!
I made my character look a bit like Andy Warhol with a pastel pink pixie haircut (something which I wouldn't try IRL myself, given that I've just graduated and am in desperate need of a JOB but I thought it would be fun. Otherwise I probably would have liked to make an avatar resembling Grace Coddington, Anna Wintour or Karl Lagerfeld. Unfortunately gloves aren't an option for avatars yet, so I'm still waiting for the perfect opportunity to make a mini Karl.
So the first room I got to decorate was for Lottie the otter, who also works at Nook's Homes (the office you work at in the game). She's pretty cute, has a blue polka dot bow in her hair styled with bangs in a bun. Naturally I approve of her pink fur. I decorated this room using the 'Lovely Furniture Set', which fans of the Animal Crossing franchise will recognize quiet easily, however, if you're NOT familiar with the series, it's appeared in just about every game since its inception.
Anyway, it reminded me a lot of the bedroom from Grease, as well as the independent films of Samuel Shanahoy who also happens to run one of the most amazing Tumblrs. It's kind of tacky, which is why I love it and also ironic. If the room was a song, it would be 'So Into Yo' by Tamia. If it was an emoji it would naturally be a heart with sparkles. If it was a food, it would be a strawberry milkshake with two straws, shared by Haruka and Michiru from Sailor Moon.
1- Meadham Kirchhoff, 2- unknown, 3- Kailey Flyte, 4 & 5- Flossgloss Baby Baby Lookboo, 6- photo by christinawinkelmann, 7- unknown.
Lately it's been easier to aesthetically cataloging various fashion collections instead of exhaustively reviewing them. The words aren't coming easily. I've put a lot of pressure on myself to maintain this blog and make it as good as I feel it can be. But doing all that whilst still trying to write my thesis/ apply for a PhD/ apply for jobs isn't easy either. While I've always had the opinion that blogs which don't, at least sometimes have a strong written component I'm beginning to see visual expression as valid as written content. To celebrate Mary Benson's Spring 2016 collection, I searched for images from Rookie Mag but some Hole references for good measure. The motifs on her clothes, emphasized using glittery holographic foil, as well as crystal embellished sunglasses celebrated emotional outpourings. I love her fantastical designs, and to see someone celebrate gushing tears down models faces gave validation to every time I had to run to the bathroom and cry. 
Aside from the tears and glitter, another motif from this collection were the creepy eyeballs. It almost exists as an extensive of the land of Oz, populated by living forests. This time each eyeball pertained to a globular flower or bush. Since it's October (and Tumblr has become one big advertisement for pumpkins and skeletons), I can openly appreciate things which are both beautiful and creepy. It seems that cartoon lips and eyes will continue to be popular with fashion designers and artists on etsy and I for one couldn't be more excited. Unfortunately it seems that noses aren't as popular, in fashion or on instagram but I'm going to keep hoping I see them up there one day (!!) Anatomy aside, it was cool to see bell sleeves and raw denim jackets with a difference, amongst all the 1970s hysteria that the fashion world seems heavily tied up on. It was cool for the first couple of months, but I'm wondering what Topshop will stock once the gravy train is over and people are looking for The Next Trend.
