STAYCATION, but make it artsy

Hello careless readers, how are we doing in these fabulous times at home? As the weekend was approaching we were thinking what we could do that wouldn’t be old news, booooring or too adult friendly. We know nobody likes that!?

What could we do to explore our dreams and fantasies? Art, of course. We’ve already crossed that gate at home, and let me tell you,
it’s been fun.

I know for some of you this may sound frightening. For others, it may be old news already. Either way, this is definitely something we encourage you to try or keep on doing. There’s nothing better than squeezing those creative juices. I am a firm believer that if you do that, not only it will enable you to think broadly and differently but also to feel more tired at the end of your day, resulting in a better night sleep. And my oh my, don’t we all love those!

There’s many ways you can engage with yourself, here we tell you a few.

Be The Art

Recently, the Getty Museum threw an amazing challenge at us. Whilst we are unable to visit all our favourite museums around the world, the masterminds behind these institutions have passed the ball to us. If you can see the art, BE the art. Recreate it at home, and have fun.

Of course we had to try this and whilst I wanted to recreate Velazquez´s Venus, we ended up going on a modernist tangent and replicated quite an unknown Miro piece. Needless to say this was pretty unrecognisable for most, but equally so much fun!

If you are needing some inspiration, Tussen Kunst & Quarantaine is your ally.

Create Art

My latest quarantine creations :)

Creating art is a wonderful thing. Absolutely subjective to each other’s perception as well, which I find fascinating. What is art in your eyes may not be for others but really, who decides what’s good or not? In our opinion, as long as you have fun along the way, it doesn’t matter what the end result is.

There are many ways in which you can create art. That could be making beautiful and eye captivating #FoodieMonster dish to scrapbooking with prints of your photos. Needless to say drawing and painting are a favourite of ours.

Depending on how crafty you want to get, you may want to invest in few long-term pieces such as paint, paint brushes, pencils and drawing paper or canvases. I am a big fan of supporting small business so I would encourage you to check out your local art dealers to get a good deal on these. Great Art (our fave!) and Jacksons in East London are fabulous and are doing quite a quick home delivery.

Yesterday we turned our home into a life drawing studio. We put lots of scented candles on, classic music on the stereo and a glass of vino in one hand and a pencil on the other. 20 minutes for a different pose and a lots of sketches later the night was ended. It was great fun.

If you are into scrapbooks or collages, Paperchase has fabulous cheap and cheerful options. Splash the cash on some washi tape and stickers to make it all more fun and then get 50 prints FOR FREE! on Snapfish. I am a very into my photos and scrapbooks, so last Christmas I treated myself to a portable smartphone photo printer and it has been THE BEST. In case you are like me, check it out here

Digest & Learn Art

This one is certainly for the art lovers. I particularly miss my Sunday visits to the Hayward Gallery to check their latest exhibition. Or the approachable museum lates every first Friday of the month. Needless to say I can’t wait for the next fashion exhibit at the V&A. But whilst all of that will have to wait for a while, why not getting parade by truly experts in the matter on a virtual tour to your favourite museums? And not only in London but around many major capital cities?

Museums are currently providing a huge range of activities to enjoy from the comfort of your own sofa. From grown-up workshops and art courses to kids friendly art making activities, the options are vast. The Tate Galleries in London and MoMa in New York would be a great start. If you have VR googles at home, then we also suggest you try the National Gallery’s virtual tours.

But it is not only down to museums to tap into the artistic scene. This also entails the realm of music and video art, for example. Or podcasts, even! You can learn a lot from podcasts, and we’ve certainly take a turn on this to get ourselves more educated and interested in non-coronavirus matters. This American Life is an amazing storytelling podcast, and I’ve recently stumbled upon A Piece of Work from Abbi Jacobson (hello, Broad City?), which is hilarious.

Don’t think about it any longer, let’s have some fun!

TCB xx

STAYCATION, but make it Fashion

Hello careless readers, how are we doing in these crazy times?

The Easter weekend is almost over and my beaut and I continue to #stayathome safe and sound. Despite being indoors most of days, I must admit, it’s been very nice. In fact, I still feel I don’t have enough time to do everything I want!

Whilst concerned about the global pandemic, we are trying to keep our #GoodVibesOnly alive and I’d love to share that spirit with you today.

I know I’ve been absent, but it’s been difficult to process everything that has been happening for the past month, and I really wanted to figure out what I wanted to tell you moving forward. In addition, I am luckily still working on my full time job, which is also why you haven’t heard from me for a while but I am committed to continue to catch up with you and provide you with some entertainment through these rough times at home.

Now, I know the temptation to stay on your PJ´s or those comfy leggings is real but if you landed in this page you most certainly love fashion, so don’t let it slide! Now more than ever, you have time to enjoy your creative and fashion side, at home. Not sure what to do? Here our recommendations:

1. MARIE-KONDO the hell out of YOUR WARDROBE

Your wardrobe looking a bit full and messy? Bring your inner Marie-Kondo to life and sparkle some joy to that closet of yours :) It will be an arduous task, but extremely rewarding. We speak from experience!

PS. If you are wondering who Marie Kondo is we’ll be shocked but we’ll forgive you. Get to know the master of organisation on her Netflix series: Tidying up with Marie Kondo.

2. REJUVENATE YOUR OUTFITS…

…by coming up with new outfits or even creating new pieces with what you’ve got in store (i.e. your wardrobe). I will also add to the mix what Emily Gilmore said: “If it brings you joy, keep it. If it doesn’t it goes.”

I am sure sure sure you have many items in the closet that haven’t seen the light for a good while. I feel you sister! We all tend to have our easy go-to outfits, those that we can put up without even thinking. But it is important to not forget those piece you once love so much. Whilst you are tidying up your wardrobe, I am sure you’ll come across few gems. Think how you could give those a twist and come up with a new outfit with the clothes you already own. On the other hand, you could just wear your fabulous gown on a formal working from home day to jazz things up? What outfit role do you want to play today? Check us out for inspo

3. BECOME A DESIGNER FOR THE DAY

Have you watch Next In Fashion on Netflix? If not, we’ve just given you a new series to binge watch. For those who know what we are talking about, you’ll know where we are headed. Drawing! Designing! Creating! You can create something new with what you already have. Yes, you heard me. All you need is a pair of scissors, paint and perhaps some patches or embroidery. Those pair of jeans that you don’t wear? Give them a splash of white paint, or paint a pattern you like in them et voila! You’ve got limited edition denim, right here right now. Or if you are not into painting you cut do some fringing on your trousers, jackets or even crop top some of those old school tees you don’t wear that much anymore. Experimenting is key to a fun day :)

4. PLAY WITH YOUR YOUNG SIDE (OR YOUR SIBLINGS/ FAMILY)
AND TIE DYE

Pick a white tee you don’t use as much anymore or get a new jogging set (on amazon, for example) and experiment with tie-dye! We used to do this a lot when I was little and I had plenty of fun doing it. Needless to say it’s easy, it’s fun and every piece is unique. And is on trend! Win-win. The brand Rit Dye is great and available on amazon; you’ll have to select the colours you like rather than getting a kit. If you are looking for a quick and inexpensive kit without fuss, then we recommend this set here

5. GET INSPIRED BY KEY PLAYERS IN FASHION…

…on a variety of podcasts and live sessions available on instagram. Almost all big names are doing sessions to keep ourselves entertain so check their instas and I’m sure you’ll be surprised by how much they are providing these days. There’s so much content out there I find it hard to keep up! I personally love Business of Fashion and ManRepeller, but equally there’s a bunch of documentaries on Netflix worth watching.

Happy Quarantine!

Lots of love,

TCB xx