Senior Year: Winter 11 Thesis

Senior Thesis: Jack the Ripper

Winter 11

These are the first 2 looks of my senior thesis. I am hoping to complete 4 more by the end of Spring quarter! My concept is based on Jack the Ripper and his victims, prostitutes. My main focus has been working with transparency, a large variety of textures in fabrication, and layering.

Look 1 : Silk Chiffon cape with quilted perforated leather shoulders and collar, mesh and lace bra, mesh bodysuit, mesh shorts, large mesh over fine mesh thigh-highs. All in black.

Close up of front and back details.

Look 2: Red and Black feather shoulder piece, black lace over red mesh bra, black perforated leather and mesh corset, red mesh panties and a black girdel, with black lace thigh-highs.

Leg mannequin showing the bottom half of the look from front and side.

More to come!!

Must Try Chili-Rubbed Steak Tacos

It's been too long since I've posted anything! But, last weekend I make a chili-rubbed streak which I used as the meat in some steak tacos. They were some of the most flavorful tacos I have had in awhile, so I thought I would share!

The rub recipe:

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

1 tbs Chili-powder

Cayenne pepper to taste

1/4 tsp salt

Cook the meat to a medium-rare and fill tortillas (warmed in a pan to make pliable or in the microwave with a moist paper towel for 15 sec.) with your favorite taco fillings. I used avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, squeeze of fresh lime, some picante salsa, and a sprinkle of cheese.

They are easy and full of great flavor!

My mom and I both decided it was a soup weekend. Friday night we had a soup-off. She made Peppery Potato Soup with Sausage. I made Hot and Sour soup. Being that my family is a meat and potatoes kind of family, I lost, BUT that's ok with me because now I get all the Hot and Sour for myself!

The great thing about the potato soup is that it uses no cream and very little butter. We also include the sausage to make the soup a meal. Here is the recipe, it's super easy and really amazing!

Ingredients

• 2 c. potatoes
• 1/2 Med. onion, chopped
• 16 oz chicken brother
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 c. milk
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• salt to taste
• 1/2 lb. sausage (optional)

Directions

Skin most of potatoes and cube them. Put in pot with broth and onion. Cook until potatoes are tender. Reserve 1 c. of potatoes and mash the rest in the pot. Return reserved potatoes to pot and add remaining ingredients. Simmer for 10 min and serve with a sprinkling of cheese.

I have made Hot and Sour soup a few times. For me, it's so much better then chicken noodle soup when you are starting to feel under the weather. It's comforting and the spice clears out the sinuses! Here is my recipe:

Ingredients

• 6 Shitaki mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons EVOO
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 tablespoon red chile paste (or more), I use the one that comes in a tube by the mushrooms in the produce department
• 2/3 cup canned bamboo shoots, sliced
• 1-2 chicken breasts, cooked in EVOO and sesame oil and seasoned, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper (use white pepper, if you have it)
• Pinch of sugar
• 2 quarts chicken stock
• 1 square firm tofu, drained and sliced in 1/4-inch by 1-inch strips
• 1/3 cup bean sprouts
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water (used to thicken the soup)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Chopped green onions and cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, chile paste, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and chicken; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, lime juice, salt, pepper, and sugar. Add the chicken stock, bring the soup to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the tofu and bean sprouts and cook for a few minutes.

Dissolve the cornstarch in the water and stir until smooth and pour into soup. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in 1 direction to get a current going, then stop stirring. Slowly pour in the beaten eggs. Garnish with chopped green onions and cilantro.

We Made a couple more but I will add those later! Happy soup eating!!!

I found this "Soda" at Whole Foods the other day and thought I would give it a try. I say "Soda" because it is sold as if it were wine. The flavors are Fine Dry, Crisp White, and Dry Red. I got the Fine Dry, which is supposed to have notes of cherry, apple, and anise. It also had a top that has to be opened with a bottle opener, which I also thought was weird. When I tasted it, I thought for sure it had alcohol in it, so I checked all over the label, and I guess it doesn't. But, its ingredients read: Apple Juice, Sparkling Water, and Fermented Barley Malt, so I suppose that explains the alcohol taste. It isn't something I could drink a lot of, but I really enjoyed it! It's very unique, so if you are a lover of all weird beverages, like myself, give it a try! The 4-pack was about $5.

Rings that are LARGE and in charge!

Everyone knows that large rings are a super-trend right now, but these rings seemed especially cool to me, thought I would share!

The rings that are bent in the middle and meant to be worn over the knuckle are really interesting

All these rings are just crazy cool, I'm usually not a fan of gold rings, but these are amazing. My favorite is the cow :)

I really need a large bow ring. I haven't been able to join the bow headband trend, so I think I could defiantly do bows like this!

Thoughts, Inspirations, Ideas, and DESTRUCTION!

If I have learned anything from being a fashion student, it's that an inspiration journal is your most valuable asset. Don't you ever have this dream where you think about something completely differently then you ever have before, and you have that moment of epiphany... and then you wake up and can't remember? I HATE that feeling; the feeling that I had this great thought and I can't remember it for the life of me.

This is the exact purpose for the journal! Whenever I have an idea for a concept or a specific design, I jot down a note or a quick sketch so that I can come back a reference it later. I even clip images that I find interesting for whatever reason.

Since starting this habit, I have accumulated many sketch books and journals with all kinds of doodles and chicken scratches. Now, whenever I see a cute tablet or journal I think I have to have it! Like I need to collect ANOTHER thing.

However, I was shopping at Urban Outfitters today and saw this journal thats sole purpose is it's destruction. Each page tells you what to do on it. By the end, the book promises to be completely wrecked. It may seem stupid to spend 12.95 on something, just to destroy it, but I thought it was genius.

It's so genius to me because whenever I used to buy a new "pretty" journal, I would be afraid to sketch and write in it because I didn't want it to be messy or make my journal ugly. The thing that I have began to realize, is that their is beauty is the used and abused. It's like a good pair of old holey Vans, their is nothing better; they are broken in and molded to your feet. Wrecking this journal will not only be fun, but it's going to help me find beauty in the journey of an item and not necessarily how aesthetically pleasing it is.

Let the wrecking begin!

Worlds Most Unhealthy and Delicious Chip EVER

While dating my ex-boyfriend, I ate at many restaurants under his dime, which was quiet awesome to a food lover like myself. On one such dining occasion, we tried this chip appetizer at a restaurant called Cap City Diner in Columbus, OH, which is owned by the great Cameron Mitchell. I fell in love with them. Since my relationship's end, I haven't made it back to this restaurant, so I decided to make them myself! I must say that I think mine were just as good, but I might be a little bias...

Anyways, I first laid down a layer of sea salt Kettle chips. I then made a very easy alfredo sauce.

For the sauce:

Melt 1/2 stick butter

Whisk 4oz cream cheese into butter (will melt and make a smooth creamy consistency)

Add about 1/2C. milk and whisk (just add enough to get a thin but not super runny consistency)

Add 3-4oz fresh parmesan cheese (Don't use crapy cheese! The better the cheese, the better the end taste)

Add pepper to taste and whisk

Top the chips with alfredo liberally; you may not need all that the recipe prepares. Then crumble desired amount of blue cheese. I would recommend Maytag blue cheese because that is the brand Cap City uses, and it's amazing.

That's IT!