TFTV: WHAT I WORE AND ATE: THANKSGIVING *SPECIAL* EDITION

TALKFASHION TV

Episode: WHAT I WORE AND ATE: THANKSGIVING.

Thanksgiving Day has once again, come and gone.
In this episode of TALKFASHION TV you will see my own personal fashion creation, inspired by ginkgo trees, Fall, and Marie Antoinette.
It is a dress I handmade several years ago and it has become a yearly tradition for me to wear it at Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving dinner was made by me this year and it was a combination of my own recipes as well as an amazing apple pie recipe from the food network. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/apple-pie-recipe.html

MENU
-Fried Mashed Potato Cheese Ball
-Roasted Tomatoes stuffed with vegetables and spicy Italian ham.
-Cranberry green beans in White Fish.
-Roasted Vegetables and Chicken.
-Apple Pie

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xo,
Maya

Day 5: A Dress is Born! (prematurely)

Final Day of Challenge:

Happy first day of Spring! I started this challenge 5 days ago, hoping for the miraculous birth of a Spring inspired, "cherry blossom" dress designed and made by me. Voila! Here it is.....

Although, I have completely fallen in love with this dress, and have high hopes for it, I must be honest with you. The birth was quite premature, or in other words, I just did not finish. *cringe* (see below for details)

If you followed my 5 day posts, you will know by now, the insanity the whole project brought to me, and unfortunately, it just was not enough time. I did get awfully close to finish, but there are several factors that still need to be done. I estimate about a half a week more and the dress will be complete.

 After the dress is complete, there will be detailed shots of the dress, along with a photo shoot of me wearing it.

Thanks for following the progress of this challenge and all your support!

❤,

Maya

Day 4 of 5: A Bouquet of Insanity

Day 4 of 5:

Today was a day filled with sewing silk flowers to the lower half of the dress, and continuing with yesterdays beading. I am at full blown stress mode, and one more silk flower could cause my head to pop off. 

I am still horribly behind, and a miracle is some what needed if completion is at all possible for tomorrow. On a brighter note, I am quite pleased with the silk flowers that look like falling sakura flowers. They have the soft, light, texture that I was hoping for, and the effect is exactly what I had in mind. I debated quite a bit whether to keep the rosettes in the center, but in the end opted to take them out, since the dress is inspired by the "cherry blossom". 

xo,

Maya 

Day 3-5: More Beading, loosing my mind, and sneak peak of bottom half.

Day 3 of 5:

I am undeniably feeling the pressure, and quickly losing my mind. I am a perfectionist, and have no sense of time. In my head, my vision of 'the dress' is extremely intricate, whimsical, and full of unbelievable beadwork.  Unfortunately, I am not a magical elf with time defying sewing skills, and 5 days seems quite impossible. 

I wish I could dedicate 24 hrs/day to this dress, but with work, and life, it is not working out that way.

Leave it to me, to speak before thinking, but regardless, I am pushing myself to the brink of insanity to  somehow get this done by Friday. 

Overcome with huge stress that only two days remain, I surprisingly accomplished quite a bit today. This is off topic, but  isn't it amazing how much you can accomplish with deadlines and stress? Just when you think its impossible and can't be done, you somehow accomplish it,and surprise yourself. Of course it is probably at the cost of about a year of my life, but I do believe it is a sign of reaching a higher level of self achievement. 

xo,

❤

Maya

Day 2 of 5: Beaded Details and Mind Blocked

Day 2:

Today was a day spent on details. I beaded all day and I am still currently beading. Designing your own clothes is a crazy thing and 5 days to finish an evening gown, is an even crazier experience. 

 As fun as it is, the whole situation is rather unpredictable and chaotic. Part of my head thinks about the beading I am doing, and the other part of me is contemplating the bottom half, and what I will do. The creative process is never a smooth ride, and I have moments of complete mind blocks that leave me completely frustrated. However, other moments are filled with energetic bursts of ideas that make the whole chaotic mess worth it. 

Stay tuned....

xo,

Maya

Day 1 of 5: The Making of a Spring Evening Gown

Day 1 of 5

In case you missed the announcement yesterday, in celebration of Spring 2015, I will be attempting to design, and create a dress all within 5 days. The challenge is to have it completed by the first day of Spring ( this Friday, March 20).

The dress I am designing, is inspired by the beautiful pink cherry blossoms of Japan. The color palette is soft, sweet, and very pink. The fabrics chosen, are vintage embroidered lace, organza, and chiffon.  I also found pink silk flowers in the flower aisle and would like to somehow incorporate them into the dress.  I will most likely be adding other materials as I go along and my vision changes.

Day 1, was a slow day.  I felt a bit of frustrated, as my mind was blocked with the direction of my design. I only finished the top portion of lace, which is shaped to my frame. I did also attach a zipper in the back. However, I did not have time to finish the inner linings or add any details. Tomorrow will need to be met with more speed and efficiency to make up for lost time. Stay tuned!

Wish me luck, ❤

xo,

Maya

FH 4: Designing Winter Accessories with Recycled Materials

                 "MIDNIGHT FALLING SNOWFLAKES"

           SWEATER NECKLACE by MAYA HORIKAWA

FASHION-HEART: DAY 4

To read about Fashion-Heart click here: FASHION-HEART

"MIDNIGHT FALLING SNOWFLAKES", is a sweater necklace inspired by bittersweet memories of falling snow at midnight. Snowflakes flutter through the air, and touch you softly. No two are a like, and remain a constant reminder to the beauty of individuality. 

Made of 100% cashmere, all materials were recycled from previously worn items. Just as there are no two identical snowflakes, this wintery accessory is also one of a kind. A perfect accessory to wear with other knits, and a fun way to add textures to any winter look.

All beads come from a old bracelet, and the 3D effect is accomplished by the layering of beads on top of each other, giving the visual effect of falling snowflakes.

The cashmere portion came from my project which i featured yesterday. To read about it please click here OLD SWEATER MAKE OVER: CROP it!

My Jewelry Design: "Sunset Monet"

One of my latest addictions are Statement necklaces! Nothing inspires an outfit quite like a good piece of jewelry. Inspired by a painting by Claude Monet, I mixed the icy nature of crystal jewels with a rusty, silk ribbon inspired by the sunset in Monet's painting. Perfect for Winter, this necklace with glamorize any outfit while capturing the essence of a different time.

My Fashion Handbag Design: "The Marilyn"

"Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend"

"The Marilyn", is a bag I have designed and created inspired by legendary Icon, and infamous "IT" girl, Marilyn Monroe. Hints of hot pink are used in the lining, reminiscent of her fabulous hot pink ball gown. The very finest crystal elements are used to celebrate the scene in her musical number where she is draped in diamonds. The outer lining is made of black velvet, and buckle is trimmed in fur. The strap is adorned with a circular diamond and lined on the inside with lace.   

"The Marilyn", is a fun flirty bag I have created to embody the sex appeal of iconic Marilyn Monroe. 

It is a bag meant to be worn for all occasions. Whether it be jeans and a t-shirt or, a sexy Black Herve Leger, wear it with confidence and charm. After all who needs men when you have diamonds?