Good Girls & Geeks

Quote of the Day

2011-07-15T10:55:00.000-07:00

In my mind Friday battles Sunday for best day of the week.

I'm waving in the weekend. Smile on my face. Prosecco chilling in the fridge. Far away friends on the highway, their GPS set to Destination: Bonnie.

As I got dressed this morning I recalled the strange Tylenol PM induced dream I had last night in which a stranger quoted Emily Dickinson to me. She said "Dwell in possibility."

So, with that I wish you thrilling yet relaxing weekend and I invite you to dwell in the possibilities with me.

xo!

Bonnie Rue

The belly rules the mind

2011-06-24T15:26:00.000-07:00

That's an old Spanish proverb. It's real old. Like all proverbs. I mean who's got time to write new ones?

Anyway, I've said it before but I'll say it again - I am really only ever concerned with my next meal. I make weekly meal plans. A new recipe finds itself pinned under my fork 2 or 3 times a week. Cooking is how I relax after work and how I most enjoy spending time with the raddest people I know. I care about where it comes from and how it came to be before it began it's journey to my stomach. Hooray for food!

I read a lot about food and the agriculture industry. I watch way too many documentaries and spend too long in the grocery store making decisions, but it pleases me. I hope some of my recent findings please you too! Some exciting stuff, some scary stuff & eye candy too.

I found out yesterday that the first zero-packaging grocery store in the US might be opening right here in Austin, TX! Sometimes when I get excited I will stammer and then say 'there are no words!' but thats a lie. I always have words. If I don't have something to say please lean in and check for a pulse, okay? So, here are my words - this is fucking amazing. Pardon my french, but that is how I feel. They need donations to make this happen though. I am going to toss $50 their way because imagining a store with out brand names and logos and goofy mascots competing for my attention and my pay check just makes me giddy. To think my pantry could be free of these things as well - eek! It means a world with a little less marketing, which don't get me wrong, great marketing really turns me on, but these days we do not get a free moment. Something is almost always blatantly or subconciously trying to get our wallets out of our pockets. It's exhausting and wether we realize it or not it fills our heads with crap that ultimately does not serve us. It forces us to make decisions about things we may never even purchase, causing stress and anxiety in small yet affecting doses. I'd rather just get to the point. Filling my belly with the good stuff while I stop contributing to the landfills that will not always be out of sight and out of mind. And now fine readers In.gredients

Now, on a less thrilling tip.. Here are some terrifying maps! One showing the locations of Americas top 8 burger franchises, the other of places where bars out number grocery stores. I feel that there are some errors on this map because Austin, TX does not show up as a hot spot. If I tried to name every bar in this town it would not only be boring, but exhausting to boot.

Okay, it's gross but... Feast your eyes on this (for a larger view just click on it).

The only thing I like more than food is good illustration. When I found They Draw and Cook my heart skipped a beat! Then I thought 'Damn it! why didn't I come up with this?' but that's a bull shit thing to think (pardon my french again! I have potty mouth today). Seriously though who cares who came up with it, just that it exists! There plans to illustrate some of my favorite recipes and I will surely let you know when I submit them. Until then, here are a few of my favorites! (again, if you want to get up close and personal just click on the images)

Well, I'm stupid hungry now and I turn into a betch when I'm hungry and I don't want to subject you lovely people to that.

xo,

Bonnie Rue

p.s. Remember, you can eat off my plate if I can eat off of yours.

Simple Do's and Don'ts on a Thursday

2011-06-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

Do: Be inspired by Nick Gentry's paintings. Find or create things that are good out of the obsolete crap you have in your life.

Don't: Get a penis tattoo... Not on. Not of. Not that I thought you were tempted, but...

Do: Pick a lovely corner of the world and start socking away money to one day go there.
AND

Don't... Forget:

xo,

Bonnie Rue

Baby Steps

2011-06-19T06:27:00.000-07:00

What a long week. At best I've been emotionally unstable lately. I was stressing it, even throwing a fit - but I'm just not going to allow myself to stress things anymore. Yeah, that is totally against my nature, but this component of my personality has proven to be.. less than advantageous. So, I am eradicating it. In other words I'm trying my damnedest to say good bye to my inner brat and just roll with the punches. Take deep breathes, allow myself to lean on people when I start to lose my shit and laugh when I feel a colossal cry coming on. It wasn't a bad week.

The highlights. The low-lights need not be mentioned.

*Tons of yoga. Every day in fact. Vinyasa mostly, which I found utterly irritating at first. It's meditative qualities seem hard to find, but the classes are cheap and a new challenge is appreciated right now. Believe it or not.

*Wine and oldies girl group records with a friend under the canopy of lush trees. We sweated and rapped (not literally) about our pasts, talked in depth about the wine we were drinking and sang the praises of a well stocked and organized kitchen.

*While shopping for a dinner party I was approached by an old man who told me he wished I was his wife... after he raved for 10 or so minutes about how flourless bread is the only bread worth eating and that everyone should know about the"one-ness blessing". Me = crazy person magnet.

*Dinner at my place with my roommate JenJen and our friend Mario who won the title of The Funniest Person in Austin a few years back. He gave me a lift when I was too tipsy to drive one night so I thanked him with dinner and picked his brain about his comedy career. Check out his book A Cynic's Guide to a Rich and Full Life. I think he's got it figured out. His contribution to dinner was a cucumber infused vodka. As far as awesomely summer-ish things go I'd put it up there with watermelon and sunscreen. Yeah.

*I hired a rock n roll therapist this week. Sounds cheezy, yeah, but he can smell what I'm stepping in and I think he can help me wash away my crazy.

*Nail Party! My ladies rallied at the house with wine+wine+wine and caboodles filled with nail polish, decals, glitter and many tricks up their sleeve. Rissa taught everyone how to "marble" their nails (see JenJen's photo) while we ate brownies and watched Daria. The house smelled a little toxic once we were all fancied up... Small price to pay I think.

*Yesterday I went swimming with a gang of ladies in vintage bathing suits then took a walk to acquire vegan soft serve and a bouquette of flowers carefully cut from my neighbors yards.

*Thrifted a pair of creepers - just like the ones I wore in high school. *heart thump*

Today I called my Father and expressed my never ever ending gratitude and love. I hope you did too. The last few precious hours of the weekend were spent ignoring the dishes, drawing stupid pictures, eating some serious quesadillas and writing, writing, writing.
Baby steps to tomorrow and baby steps away from the brat in my brain.

xo,
Bonnie Rue

Ribbons Forever

2011-06-10T08:45:00.000-07:00

A big thank you and too many hugs to all of you who emailed me little love notes. I really appreciate your sentiment and affection, more than you'll ever know. I've been rough around the edges and it really does help to hear from my lovely readers.

Speaking of lovely friends and broken hearts, Natalie Ribbons aka Agent Ribbons who is new-ish to Austin, TX (originally from Sacramento) just released her first super professional music video! It's filled with chandeliers, carousels, the best dresses ever and haunting vocals. It's whimsical and bloody and if you are anything like me, you will la-la-love it. I've been singing her songs in the shower for years now, long before she moved to Austin. One lucky night I was shakin' it at the Second Sunday Sock-Hop, like I do... when I looked across the dance floor and SHAZAAM! There she was. Girl crush in full effect. I caught her on the porch later and we made friends pretty fast.

"I love your dress!"
"Oh, I love YOUR dress!"
"You look like a cake!"
"You look like a modern day Nico Case!"

And THAT right there ladies and gentlemen is how you win friends and influence people.

So, with out further ado, here is That's Not Edgar's Heart by Agent Ribbons

Bonnie Rue: Who, What, When, Where and How did this gorgeous video come to be?

Agent Ribbons: The video was shot in Oakland by Ryan McCoy, who went to an experimental arts high school with me in Sacramento and found me later in life when he started working for George Lucas at Skywalker Ranch. He said he had access to all this great equipment and wanted to help us make a music video on the side, so we did!

Bonnie Rue: Tell me, tell me, tell me - who put your wardrobe together? Was it you?

Agent Ribbons: Ryan had costume designer Alison Cohen do the clothes so we didn't actually pick them, but we were thrilled with the wardrobe choices!

Bonnie Rue: Can we expect more amazing video's in the future?

Agent Ribbons: We may or may not have more videos...since we have no budget for them, it unfortunately hinges upon the desire of aspiring filmmakers and people who just want to help us out!

Bonnie Rue: Perhaps a Kickstarter campaign is in order?.... So, I know you ladies were just out on tour, anymore dates coming up that I should know about?

Agent Ribbons: We just got home from tour TODAY and we'll be taking the summer off from travel to write a new album. YAY!

You can pick up her latest release, Chateau Crone at Antenna Farm Records. Buy it on vinyl so you will always and forever have it in your collection. It lives proudly in the front of my record rack *smack in the center* so it's easy to get to at any ol time AND so I can see it's lovely cover every single day!

Self Medicating

2011-06-06T17:50:00.001-07:00

First off, let's get something straight.. I am not a hippy. Some of the facts may suggest otherwise. I mean, I live in Austin, TX. I eat mostly vegan cuisine. I sort of really hate washing my hair. Socks are something I rarely wear. I'll even admit to being accused of smelling um, "natural" on an occasion or two. But I'm not a hippy. That being said, when I get sick I do ingest a lot of herbs, vitamins, tea & green leafy things long before I'll ever set foot in a doctors office. Because I feel that food is the cure when you are sick. Eat yourself to health is one of my many motos.

These days I am not sick... but I am not well. And none of these things will cure me. My heart is broken. Everyone knows that time is the answer but I can't brew up a strong cup of time. Some days I can't even get off the couch or bring myself to eat. You can't rush this shit. There's only enduring it. Some things do help. Friends being at the top of that list. They are familiar and they love you. Which is all you want when you your heart feels like someone is trying to make sausage out of it.

Familiar isn't always good though. Like when it comes to your music collection. Every song is filled with ghosts.
"This is the first song we ever sang together!" or "This song was playing when we drove to the desert that one time.." and even "He used to hate it when I would put this record on." All of it will split you at the seems and have you wishing for a tear free existence before you even reach the chorus.

I'm trying to come up with a cure for the broken hearted. Maybe it's silly. I know it's not a fucking sore throat, but I can't just sit on the couch wondering "Did I eat today?" Knowing I did not.

Yes, a haircut helps. Self applied or otherwise. Writing is an important part of the process, but unfortunately it also makes you feel trite. My highschool art teacher once suggested doing a self portrait, which I half heartedly attempted the other day. He said it would make you spend time with yourself. Thinking of YOU and what YOU want. Not a bad exercise, but my heart doesn't feel EXERCISED.
A trip to the record store has been the most beneficial of my efforts so far. Yes, I'm writing from the couch still, but for all intents and purposes let's say that blogging is a social activity. Which is an improvement. I picked up many different things. A selection that is all over the place.. just like me. And here they are:

Story by Tiana Hux aka MC Sweet Tea
A local white lady rapper (one of my most favorite things) who I find to be inspiring and she gets me as close to giggling as possible. I first saw her perform at a fashion show this past winter. Her hair was big, her rhymes were um, phat & it was love at first note. It makes me think I could dance again. Which is much appreciated. I highly recommend it.

Xiu Xiu's Fabulous Muscles
Because part of me will not let this couch or this feeling go. So I might as well have something new to cry to. I'm in the mood for something beaming with dramatics. Something creepy and impossible to explain. Ya know, a record that sounds like it was very painful to make.

My Secret Public Journal LIVE by Mike Birbiglia
Mostly because it was on sale. Also because I love him. AND I want to try stand up comedy (once I can crack a joke again) and I feel that at some point this will be highly inspiring.

Last but not least...

Diamond Rings - Special Affections
This record IS my rebound boyfriend. John O is so cute and all the words are right. The love songs are certainly punishing BUT I'm into that and it's poppy enough to get me up and into the shower. If you've recently broken up or been dumped you should let this cute canadian boy sing to you. You might even smile.

She Was An American Girl

2011-06-03T07:02:00.000-07:00

I don't mean to brag (or drive it into the ground) but good gawd - I've got some really bad ass friends. Some here, some there & some on the other side of the world in places like Berlin! As we speak the lovely Tara Tonini who hails from Dallas TX (just like me) is opening her first pop up shop - She Was an American Girl! It is a retail and gallery shop featuring 16 designers, 8 artists, 4 musicians and one record label. 100% Made in America!

Think American cowboy silhouettes, pop art passport covers, Native American ponchos, hipster screen printed T-shirts, studded rock ‘n’ roll dresses, jewelry designed out of vintage records, stewardess inspired swimwear (made by Tara ) and romantic accessories constructed from nature. Of course there is TONS of Model Citizen stuff up in there. Just like this Axe Slinger Tee pictured here with Leatherette Heart's Japanese Parachute Pants!

Yep - it's going to be killer! To see a list of the designers and read more about them please check out Tara's blog!

Awesome thing is - you do not have to be in Berlin to shop til you drop! All of this goodness is right here under your nose.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
ALSO - Tara is not alone in Berlin - the Oh so very bad ass Melisser Elliot (from San Francisco) is currently calling Berlin home! Check out her blog and her book - The Vegan Girls Guide to Life!

Allright, who loves you?
Bonnie Rue

Mermaid Water

2011-05-05T06:37:00.000-07:00

Bath time is the best time. I know this now. When I was young I would fight it. Bath time was up there with bed time & home work time & "we gotta take you to the dentist" time. It did not matter how many toys were buried in the bubbles, I didn't want to play. If anything I'd get into save my plastic friends from a watery death.

I am so glad all my feelings about personal hygiene have taken a complete 180 since I was 7. I am a big girl now, who is obsessed with smelling great & feeling softer than is humanly possible. But I want it all! I want to smell good & feel even better with the use of no man made chemicals what so ever! That is where my love affair with LUSH comes in. I've told you of the miracle that is their face masks, but there's oh so much more to fall head over heals with. I'm happy to announce that Austin, TX recently got their first LUSH store & now I can have it ALL any old time I want!

On my most recent trip I discovered what can only be described as Mermaid Water. It is marvelous & I simply could not feel like a decent human being if I didn't share this bath time blessing with you!

Here's how you make it happen. It's one part Big Blue Bath Bomb & one part Sunny Side Up Bubble Bar (which you can break into pieces for multiple uses). Big Blue takes you ocean side with fresh sea salt, arame seaweed, lavender, & some citrus notes while Sunny Side smells of tangerines and is covered in a light and shimmery gold glitter. Not the crafty kind, but the kind that is edible and made for dusting over some bad ass cupcakes or maybe some upside down pineapple cake... just a thought - I mean, why not?

So you lovingly mix these two amazing items into your bath water while it's running. What emerges is a glittery tub of aquamarine bubbles that will shimmer and shine all around you. You will feel as though you never want to step foot on dry land again.

Click here to find a LUSH store near you.

And just because I can't help myself:

Best. Bath. EVER!
Cross my heart!

xo,
Bonnie Rue

Want. Need.

2011-04-18T15:26:00.000-07:00

Winter and all of it's gloom has left the building! It makes me want to lay in the warm shade all day long, reading and doodling my life away. Yes, I have a trillion things to do and there will not be nearly enough lounging, but a girl can dream. So - inspired by Spring, here's all the shiz I am currently fawning over. Get it? Spring, Fawning? Anyway...

My friends say I'm pretty competitive, and it's true. Not in a Heathers kind of way. I'm a nice girl. I'm thinkin' though - if one were to pick up a bottle of Strawberry Flowers by Fresh you would have a good shot at smelling even more lovely than the honeysuckle wafting in through my window. Take that Mother Nature! I am sold!

What could be better than swaying down memory lane in my hammock? Well I can think of a few things but I'm not going to put make outs & margaritas on my want/need list because they are both a given. Anyway - Did any of you ladies live for the moment when your issue of Sassy would show up in your mailbox? I sure as hell did. It was the first magazine I ever became fanatical about. When they went out of print I felt like my BFF had moved to Canada over night without leaving a forwarding address. Dramatic much? Totally. I was 15. Back then I had no idea how expensive it is to run a magazine. All is forgiven though. I have a few old issues & soon I will own How Sassy Changed My Life: A Love Letter to the Greatest Teen Magazine of All Time by Kara Jesella & Marisa Meltzer. The reviews are great & even if they're wrong... I sort of don't care.

Once I get tired of lazing about all on my lonesome I think I'm going to need this fantastic little Bodum Grill so I can feast outside with my gang on my merry-go-round. I feel the need to cook as often as possible over a fire - outside of my adorable, yet frighteningly warm kitchen. Peaches & figs with balsamic glaze! Mussels & grilled lettuce salads! Tofu dogs with grilled onions & homemade spicy wine mustard! I'll stop now. I could go on like this all day. Are you a pit boss? Have a favorite recipe you'd like to share with me? Please do! FYI - the photo here is from the NYT and not of the grill I'm dreaming of. Please click on the link if you want to peek at the grill.

Rompers! Sundresses & Skorts! Oh my! If spring & summer ever had a uniform - this would be it!
When I moved into my new place I purchased a desk off craigslist that is PERFECT for sewing! I'm a little rusty but my Mom sent me some really cool old patterns that claim to be quick & easy, so I'm planning on getting my sewing fingers back! I'll post the results (even if they are hideous). Cross my heart. Is anyone else doing some spring sewing? Care to share? If not, but you wish you were - Etsy always has great vintage patters. Burdastyle is another amazing place to check out. They have some of the cutest patterns and sometimes they are FREE!

Last but never least... Anything from the Irregular Choice spring collection.
*heart melting* I am not 100% positive that you could play badminton in them, but croquet and lounging should be a breeze. C'mon - tell me you don't love these?

Well, that is enough wanting and needing for today! I am going to go now & be content with the things I have. Please forward on any recipes or feel free to share what you are reading this spring. AND of course, I want to see your sewing projects!

xo!
Bonnie Rue

Brunch for President!

2011-04-06T20:15:00.000-07:00

Forget Trump, Palin & Barack. Cast your vote for mimosas, home fries, flap jacks & the worlds favorite food - bacon!.. or veggie bacon for those who are not carnivorously inclined.

What the hell am I talking about? Am I seriously encouraging you to shove your political views off the table only to make room for a pitcher of bloody mary's and a plate of scones? No! That's not what is actually happening here. I'm introducing you to my friend Haley's awesome new blog - Brunch for President!

Once upon a time Haley had what I like to call "Fear of First Food" - meaning that she sort of hated breakfast food. Dubious, am I right? Those days are now behind her and to celebrate her new found love for all things Bunch she has been eating and drinking her way across the city, through the weekend & into your heart. I just know you will be as wild about her as I am.

AND

To inspire you for the upcoming weekend feast I will be posting a brunch inspired haiku on Brunch for President every Friday! Every freakin' Friday without fail! So - get your digital brunch on, check out my dumb haiku's & REMEMBER: There's no such thing as too many mimosa's.

xo!
Bonnie Rue

Make up. Make out. Break up. Move out.

2011-03-27T07:51:00.000-07:00

Has it been a lifetime since I last posted anything here? It certainly feels like it. I didn't mean to neglect my blog but it's been a rocky year in the house of Rue. Since my last post I've had my heart cracked, hammered, stomped & eventually flushed. Me and my boyfriend of 11 years decided to call it quits. There was no name calling, plate breaking or launching eachothers personal affects through the window and onto the lawn. No one hates anyone and there was no BIG reason.. It was just time I guess.

I moved in with my lovely friend Jen about a month ago. She's wonderful, smart, well traveled and read & she enjoys all the experimental dinners I cook - so all in all, perfect roommate. The house is awesome and in a great part of town - PLUS - we have a merry-go-round out back! Sometimes I eat my breakfast on it, taking slow little 360 degree tours of the back yard. Pictures to come soon!

Yes, I've been drinking away my sorrows. Tequila is my official break up medicine. I gotta tell ya though - broken hearted with a hangover is just not pretty. I'm turning a corner now though. I haven't had much to say.. and I promise you - nothing you'd want to hear anyway (cross my wounded little heart), but spring has me smiling again! So we will now return to our regular broadcasting schedule. If anyone is still reading this thing that is.

On another note - my work/storage space has been cut in half so you can expect a massive Model Citizen sale very soon! Also - you can look forward to a total revamp of GG&G before my next post. Exciting!

who loves you?
Bonnie Rue

And the winner of the Hoodie is...

2010-11-17T06:53:00.000-08:00

Miss Anonymous!

Who would not have won if she hadn't left her email address!

I am happy that a unemployed & chilly grad student will now be warmer!

Congrats!

I'll be doing another give away next week. Same bat time - same bat channel ;)

xo!
Bonnie Rue

Hoodie Giveaway!

2010-11-10T06:21:00.000-08:00

I can not believe it's November. Last I checked it was September... or that's how it feels anyway. From the looks of my office it may as well be the week before Xmas. Shipping boxes here & there, empty rolls of packing tape over flowing the trash can, my printer is blinking red to let me know I've used all the ink printing out festive shipping labels.. It's a lovely little mess up in here!

Some of these shipping boxes are going off to lovely far away lands & others have just arrived. So what just came in?

More Outlaw hoodies!

Now available in Small, Medium & Large! For the longest time I just had smalls in stock - which is uncool - but those days are behind us now & because it's foggy outside & the temp has dropped considerably here in Austin, TX I am giving 1 of these Outlaw Hoodies away - Right here on my blog! All you have to do is leave a comment below sometime between now & next Wednesday (November 17th). I will pick a winner at random on Wednesday morning. The winner will be sure to turn heads & maybe get some weird looks from their grandma from across the thanksgiving day table... *wink*

We are not done yet though... I'm offering 10% off on all Hoodies for the next 14 days! This includes the Outlaw Hoodie Dress of which there is ONLY 1 left! PLUS I have a few hoodies stashed that were test prints OR they are the very last of their kind & I'll be posting them on my Etsy shop in the coming days at special prices that will include the 10% off! Follow me on Twitter to know when they are up ;)

Why the massive hoodie sale? Well, we here at Model Citizen (and by we I mean me) just hate to be cold. It's the total effing pits. So we want you all to be warm & thrifty of course... and speaking of everyone being warm, while you are out shopping this holiday season - if you see any blankets on sale please pick 1 or 2 up and drop them my your local homeless shelter. Better yet - post up a flier at work asking people to donate some blankets (if used they must be washed please!) then take a big ole box of warmth to some people who really need it.

xo!
Bonnie Rue

Tis the season for soup!

2010-10-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

I am bat shit crazy about soup. It's one of the first few things I learned to cook - which is a really great place to start because a little bit of almost every cooking technique is involved in making a fab pot of soup. Sautéing, braising, simmering, double boiling, pureeing, thickening, etc. - I know it's exciting stuff. Anyway, the temperature is dropping here in Texas and I've been souping it up a lot. That being said, there is one soup I make almost all year long & I eat it for breakfast almost everyday. (Why breakfast? Well, because it's full of vitamins, it's easy to digest so it helps wake up your digestive system first thing in the A.M. & eating soup helps hydrate you.) So many of my friends are curious about this morning soup action & have asked me for the recipe. I figured I would just post it here rather than track everyone down and email it out.

Here we go!

*Morning Monster Soup*

1-2 table spoons olive oil (I just eyeball it - like everything else in this recipe)
1 large onion diced
1 large turnip diced small (If you don't like turnips - get over it)
3 garlic cloves smashed or minced (add more if you like)
2 teaspoons thyme (you could use dill, but dill makes me ill so I never go that route)
5 cups veggie broth
*Okay this is important - if you are not making your own broth please use something with low sodium content. If you find yourself wishing that your soup was saltier later on - just put some Braggs amino acids in when you are serving yourself a bowl - cool?
1 large zucchini sliced into half moons
2 stalks celery chopped
6-7 stalks kale rinsed, drained, de-stalked and chopped (say that 5 times fast)
1/2 a lemon - juiced
pepper to taste if you like

In order to dance this mess around you'll want to:

1. Put your olive oil in the pot - let it get hot & add the onion & garlic.

2. Once the onions are starting to get soft add your turnip & thyme. Saute for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add your broth & zucchini - now simmer on medium high for 5-7 minutes

4. Time to add the lemon juice & kale.

5. Once the kale is super green and starting to get soft you'll want to take 1-2 cups of the soup out of the pot and puree it in a food processor, blender, or if you have a hand held blender just pop that in the pot for a few seconds to help spread that hulky green color around.

6. Mix the blended stuff with the chunky stuff and boom! You are done.

*this photo was taken with my phone - it's not the best photo in the world, but you get the idea.

I like to serve my soup with extra lemon & some pumpkin seeds for an additional dose of manganese, phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc & protein. Noms!

Seasoning Alternatives:
If I'm feeling a sickness coming on I will add turmeric, cayenne pepper, the juice of 1 whole lemon & more garlic.

Well, I thought I'd never say this, but that's enough about soup for one day.

Enjoy!
Bonnie Rue

What happens in Vegas aka My POOL Trade Show Adventure Part II

2010-09-23T18:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the first teaser post *wink*

So here's the tofurkey and potatoes about what went down in Va-Va-Vegas!
First day of the show was pretty effing exciting. We arrived at the show at 9am sharp with 2 hefty breakfast burritos in hand (because when you are outside of Texas the breakfast burrito is like 900 times more popular than the breakfast taco - a fact that I will NEVER understand). The booth was all set up and looking super cute (if I do say so myself)! But you tell me - what do you think?

So yeah, by 9am the dj was already on the scene.. not that anyone was awake enough to dance, but he did a good job warming us up. Right off the bat I made friends with the lovely and out going ladies from Leatherette Heart. Liz (the brains & shot in the arm of the biz) is sort of the most wonderful person ever! Hilarious, crass & seriously one of a kind! AND she is was sugary sweet enough to share a box of "Fat Elvis'" with the rest of us on our row. What is a Fat Elvis? It's a fried spring roll filled with banana's, chocolate & *wait for it* bacon! Good Gawd - they were sinful. Here on the left is pic of Liz, Robin & yours truly from The POOL opening party @ The Hard Rock Cafe. I guess this is a good time to tell you that this was the night the debauchery really started. See - unless you are gambling in Vegas - the drinks are crazy expensive on the strip... but they were free free free at the POOL opening party! Don't we look like sassy drunk ladies?

The first day I was really nervous but it faded pretty quickly. I met lots and lots of super nice people. Many of them were from Canada & they really do live up to the cliche of being oh so seriously nice and polite! I also got a very flattering visit from Twinkie Chan (who is not from Canada as far as I know - but just as sweet)! She walked up and said "I heard you were here and I wanted to come meet you." I was like "you wanted to meet me?!" *blushing* She is even cuter in person (seems impossible I know) & her booth for Yummy You of course really was um, YUMMY! She is something to aspire to. No doubt! If you don't know who Twinky is - read her blog. It will not disappoint.

Later in the day our booth neighbors appeared- they'd had a shipping mishap that kept them from loading in on time :( What a nightmare! Enter stage right Magda & Jake of Marmalade Clothing! Well traveled, sharply dressed & witty as hell - we could not have had better neighbors। She is from Toronto, he's from the UK and while Magda had been to Vegas before - this was Jakes first time to the states! I spent the next few days swearing up and down that the US is NOT like Vegas. I think I finally convinced him. By day we helped reel people into each others booths (and made fun of the dj) then by night we were skipping through the casinos drinking beers and fawning over eachother. Instant BFF's!
The second and third days at POOL were a blur of handing out line sheets, shakin' hands, feeding people fortune cookies, talking about tiger stripes and lace. It was FUN and exhausting! Time in Vegas either doesn't exist or it passes you by making you feel nuts in the process. Before I knew we were pooped and packing up. With an armory of new biz contacts we wobbled back to our room and prepared for our last night on the town. We didn't just go out to gamble our hard won booty away - we actually got put on the list to see Ghostland Observatory - who were actually playing in our hotel that night! So we talked almost everyone on our row into going with us and we danced like fools before finally making our way to down town Las Vegas. WHICH WAS WAY BETTER THAN THE STRIP! It was real and gritty and flashy AND I won $25 on an Elvis slot machine! Winning always makes things better ;) It was hilarious though. I was sitting with Austin at another slot losing my ass and I got up to announce that I was going to hit the Elvis machine in the middle of the room and I literally said "because I need a little less conversation and a little more action" then after the first $1 I put in the machine spit out 100 quarters! That was the end of my gambling in Vegas. I now when to say when... most of the time.
The rest of the night was filled with bar hoping, photo-boothing, bar top dancing, country western sing-a-longs, pricey cab rides & saying "I'm going to miss you so much!" over and over again.
Here's the photographic proof:
yep - fried twinkies. Not served all night apparently.

I know it's hard to see, but this is a shark covered in bra's... hanging on the wall at a honky tonk called hogs & heifers... when in Vegas - right?

I know I don't have to say it - but it was a long night and I felt like death in the morning. We were totally green on our flight home - but we weren't the only ones in rough shape on the plane.

So - how did it go business wise? Well - I'm still finding out. People are still putting orders together. But I can tell you that soon you will be able to find Model Citizen at these fine retailers:
Hip Replacements - Asheville, NC
Cliche - Minneapolis, MN
Young Blood Boutique - Atlanta, GA
Hootenanny - Cambridge, MA

And I will be announcing more soon ;)

As for everyone that donated to help me get to the city of sin - I will be sending out your rewards shortly. I could never thank you enough for your generosity! EVER!

xo!
Bonnie Rue

What happens in Vegas aka My POOL Trade Show Adventure Part I

2010-09-18T10:17:00.000-07:00

I love flying. Everything about it. Trotting through the airport with bags in tow, slamming into strangers shoulders, shuffling onto the plane in single file with that weird aircraft AC smell in the air, a tiny bag of peanuts in my near future... but then nothing tops the take off!
So about a month ago Austin and I fastened our seat belts, made sure our seat back and folding trays were in their full upright position & then we learned that Austin simply does not like to fly. The take off in particular does not thrill him. Why am I telling you this? Well - because it is the reason why we arrived in Vegas with a little bit more than a buzz. Flight attendants make a stiff drink & for that we applaud them. We went from TX to NV in the blink of an eye and as we descended into Vegas our hotel the Mandalay Bay glimmered like a golden starship in the desert sun. If you've never seen it - it's way over the top. Yes - everything in Vegas is, but no other hotel is made up entirely of mirrored gold windows. Wow.
We had one errand to run before checking into what we would later refer to as "The Man Bay". We had to pick up some astro turf for my booth from Lowes. The girl at Lowes did not know what astro turf was! This is funny because Las Vegas Blvd is lined with the stuff! There's no real grass in the desert - c'mon! So, after acquiring our lovely lush astro turf we were now ready to hit the hotel and check out our booth at the POOL Trade Show.
The hotel, our room, the convention space - it was all so overwhelming! We wondered around being touristy, taking photos and pointing at everything for the first few hours we were there. We flew in a day early just so we could have time to act like fools for a moment before we had to get down to business. After figuring out where we were to register in the morning and seeing the booth we had nothing really to do for another 20+ hours we decided to have a nice meal at Susan Feniger's restaurant the Border Grill. Black bean & plantain empanadas anyone? This gal right here says
"Yes please!"

After dinner we waited for the sun to set & then headed out on an adventure down the strip. Despite waiting til 9 almost 10 at night it was still 102°F!! Being from Texas we could hang with this - but still it was fairly punishing... and for those of you who have never been to Vegas - the later it gets - the more the strip smells like puked up daiquiri's. Yikes. So here's some pics from our stroll down the strip:

Lounging on the astro turf
the lady of liberty on the right is made out of jelly beans!
Sin City snacks!
Our neighbor - The Luxor - where we ended up spending a lot of our time.

After sweating to death on the the streets of LV and losing some piggy bank money on the slots our swanky hotel room was calling to us. I slept like the dead - which was amazing because the next morning we had to be downstairs by 9am to register for the show and set up the booth..

Which I will tell you all about in Part 2! I'll introduce you to all the amazing designers I met at the show AND you'll even get to sneak a peek at my Tiger Lady's boyfriend! Truly love at first sight - it was all I could do to keep them from running off and getting hitched by Elvis!

Summer Lover

2010-08-11T07:32:00.001-07:00

I've totally been ignoring my blog. This summer has me swept off my feet. It is my favorite season - even if it is 100+ degrees outside. I've been sipping margarita's, breaking into apartment pools, riding my bike, eating watermelon, setting off fireworks, trekking out to the lake. ... AND running around like a crazy person while I try to get ready for the Pool Trade Show. WHICH I leave for in only 4 days!! It's all starting to come together though - I think I may actually pull this off. Vegas - I hope you are ready!

I've put a lot of work into creating a simple yet awesome design for my booth and here's a little sneak peak at what I've got going.

This lovely lady will (inspired by Ms. Bake & Destroy herself - Natalie Slater) will be greeting everyone as they enter the booth:

And this bad ass hair hopper will be displaying all the Model Citizen bobby pins.

*Sigh* I wish my hair were that big...

So that's what's up in my world. What have you ladies been up to all summer?
I hope to hear stories of skinny dipping, beach bunny-ing & boozey watermelon eatting contests ;)

xo!
Bonnie Rue

Hair Hopper

2010-07-05T15:32:00.000-07:00

I rolled out of bed recently, crusties in my eyes, sun coming in through the window.. I stumbled to the bathroom with my eyes squeezed tightly shut, splashed some water on my face and then as I peered sleepily into the mirror I realized that my hair-do has officially expired. Yes, I am a bottle blonde. Not exactly a secret... but there it is. So yeah - my roots are extreme. Extreme I tell you! Now before I go under the bottle I decided to dig around for some inspiration - I mean, I don't want exactly the same do again. No way!
What did I find myself looking at instead of hair styles that I could actually rock day to day? Over the top, avant garde, super stylie, highly structured, tampered, teased and sprayed do's from all over the world of course! Because that's productive. Right?
Anywho - I thought I'd share my favorites with you. Enjoy!

The good news is...

2010-06-16T21:13:00.000-07:00

I tell myself (on a daily basis) that I am going to sit down and blog a lot in order to have a bunch of posts saved up so when I'm busy or feeling drained I'll have something to post. This obviously hasn't happened. Lately I've been both busy and drained. I've been buried at my jobby job booking bands & busy at the house trying to get ready for POOL and unfortunately getting things repaired. Yeah - the new digs aren't perfect. The water heater was all messed up, there were a few electrical issues & some plumbing issues too. BUT the ceiling & roof are holding strong. I like that!
Things aren't all bad though. No no! Let me share some good news with you:

*Comedy Central has been airing new episodes of Futurama!

*LUSH Cosmetics is having a pop-up shop here in Austin next weekend!

*Devo has a new record out! It's called Something for Everybody! (I love the album cover - it is hilarious!)

*Fan mail! Yep I got some awesome fan mail from a girl named Kendall who will soon be a bad ass pastry chef! Thanks Kendall you made my day <3

*Speaking of my day - I found a new way to start off each and every one on the right foot:

*AND!! My kickstarter project has been going really well! I've raised enough cash to help pay for my booth & with 20 days left my new goal is to maybe raise some more for the plane tickets.

That's what's been shakin' in my world! How about you?

xo!
Bonnie Rue

Calling all Tiger Ladies!

2010-06-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

I need your help!

Remember how I'm going to Vegas in August? Then you remember how my ceiling fell down and went boom in the night a few weeks ago?

Well, all these out of the blue moving expenses have really tripped me up. I'm no longer on schedule to pay for Vegas on time. This will be an incredibly expensive trip. By the time I get back to Austin, TX after the show I will have spent roughly $5,000 on samples, airfare, hotel rooms, promotional materials, decorations for my booth to help me stand out in a sea of other super talented up and coming designers and many other little things that would only make me feel overwhelmed if I listed them.

So, I've started a little fund raising project on kickstarter.com
I'm only asking for $1,000 to help me finish paying off my booth. This is a huge opportunity. You all are the ones who helped me get to this point and that's why I set up a bunch of cool rewards for each donation received. Postcards, t-shirts, jewelry, mix cd's, art work inspired by your bad ass self - more!

Any and all support is appreciated. If you are broke - I absolutely understand! Please just share the link to the Kickstarter Model Citizen project page with your friends.

or refer them to the Model Citizen commercial on YoutTube:

Who's the best? You's the best!

tiger stripes & tandem bikes!
Bonnie Rue

My Big Gay Weekend

2010-06-07T08:49:00.001-07:00

Friday afternoon I clocked out at work & ran home to put on the loudest dress I own. I was running late & had a very important date with the loudest and proudest of Austin's LGBTQIA community. That's right - Austin had it's first ever Queer Bomb Day! It was a smokin' hot success covered in love & glitter & of course - pride! We had to go march and show our support. There has been a rift here in the heart of Texas's queer community & some disagreement on how that community should present & conduct it's self... Some folks didn't want to concern themselves with what the rest of the world might think about them... thus Queer Bomb was born! It was a total effing blast! Pics? Of course!

I feel like I sort of failed this event. Not being fully unpacked yet I could not find my body glitter (yes, I own some) or any of my noise-makery things like whistles, kazoo's, bells... There's always next year - right?

We got home from Queer Bomb - LATE. Then I was up and out of bed, straightening up (wha wha) to have my lady friends over after we caught a showing of Sex in the City 2!
We sipped cosmos while they showed old trailers for movies like Big Trouble in Little China & Mannequin - which Kim Cattrall starred in! I totally need to revisit these movies with a quickness! I loved them when I was a kid.

As for the movie we went to see - it was totally over the top AND it was supposed to be. It wasn't bat shit crazy about the movie. I can't for the life of me figure out why the writers chose Abu Dhabi as the girls vacation destination - out of EVERY WHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD. But - i'm not going to get caught up on all that... I loved Stanford and Anthony's wedding. It was fantastically over the top! *Spoiler Alert* There were swans, Anthony cries, Carrie wears a tux & she looks awesome - minus her lady gaga inspired head gear.. My favorite outfit in the entire movie was Miranda's dress she wore to the wedding. I could only find this shot of it.

My second favorite fashion moment was Carrie at the Souk in her big giant skirt that makes her look like Carrie from so many years ago:

*Spoiler Alert 2* Aiden comes back! He was my favorite. Okay - that's all I'm going to say.

While I think most people would find it hard to relate to the extreme luxury in this flick - relating to where the ladies are personally & in their relationships takes little to no work at all. Each woman lives such a different kind of life, but they are all struggling with trying not to lose who they were just a few years ago - while they try to warm up to the changes that have recently taken place. Marriage, children, menopause... The message the ladies have is sort of comforting. In a world filled with lifestyle magazines and Martha Stewart telling you the best way to deal with every little freakin' thing in your life - the fab 4 seem to be telling us to tune all that crap out and make our own rules no matter what. It's all set up at the biggest gayest wedding ever. Which was sort of perfect. All in all I'll give it a B-
which is equivalent to three (out of five) <3's.

So which of our leading ladies do you most relate to? I've always felt like I was a pretty even mix between Miranda & Carrie... with a touch of Samantha when I'm cutting lose. I've never been able to relate to Charlotte though. Not even a little bit.

And that is the story of my big gay weekend!

love, glitter & pride,
Bonnie Rue

p.s. What about that amazing pony ride of a bike? Are you as jealous as I am?!

Drinks are on me

2010-06-02T08:18:00.000-07:00

As many of you know I've been moving. Which is a total pain - everywhere! Things are almost in their place though. I was hoping to go see Sex in the City 2 last weekend with my lady friends but instead I was unpacking & waiting around the house while a plumber fixed our water heater. That's right - after we moved in we took icy cold showers. It seriously sucked! It made me want a cocktail... and then maybe another! Especially since I wasn't sitting in a theater with my friends sipping cosmo's and watching Carie, Miranda, Charlotte & Samantha strut their stuff. It's true - the Alamo Drafthouse - our theater here in Austin TX has a full bar. We are spoiled - I know.

Inspired by my lack of fun this last week I created these luscious liquor earrings!

* Champagne * Tequila * Vodka * Whiskey *
All of which will come with a special summer cocktail recipe that will cool you down and chill you out! The recipe's will feature ingredients such as - cucumber, passion fruit juice, citrus fruits & avocado! All recipes are easy peasy & you and your friends will love them. Cross my heart!

I'm excited to see the new Sex in the City - I have heard mixed reviews, but I of course will have to decide for myself. Have any of you seen it? Did you love it? Did you hate it? No spoilers please!

Once I get totally settled I will post pictures of the new Model Citizen HQ!
It's a little bigger than the last space I was in. Exciting!

Okay kids - remember to accessorize (and drink) responsibly!

xo!
Bonnie Rue
moving, Alamo Draft House

Julie Ruin

2010-05-30T12:17:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a HUGE Bikini Kill fan - and all around fan of Kathleen Hanna. The first vinyl record I ever purchased for myself was the Bikini Kill self titled record that came out in 1992. I played it to pieces and loved every second of it. Anyway, after Bikini Kill and before Le Tigre, Kathleen Hanna put out a solo record under the name of Julie Ruin. It made my heart thump and kept me dancing. That was 13 years ago and it's still one of my all time favorite records.

Recently Kathleen posted a Julie Ruin T-shirt contest on her blog. I HAD to enter! The winner will be announced on the 1st of June I guess BUT - I woke up this morning to find that she had posted my entries on her blog! This is insanely flattering to me!

I used the same colors from the album cover and paired it with all the lace that I've been using in the most recent Model Citizen designs. I guess it's kind of hard to tell from the pictures, but the name Julie Ruin is written in lace.

Anyway- I'm just so thrilled I had to scream it from the mountain tops..of my blog. If you are a big fan like I am there is still time to enter a design. The contest ends at midnight tomorrow! Put something together and email it to tshirtcontest@kathleenhanna.com

xo!
Bonnie Rue

R.I.P. Dennis Hopper

2010-05-29T12:59:00.000-07:00

Dennis Hopper
May 13th, 1936 - May 29th, 2010

The Roof! The Roof! The Roof is...

2010-05-23T07:32:00.000-07:00

on the ground?

Hello Lovelies!
Sorry I dropped off the face of the planet! Since my last post Renegade Craft Fair came to town and the minute it ended everything started to go wrong...
Austin (my manfriend) and I loaded up the car after Renegade, we got some grub, went home and I instantly PASSED OUT.. on my face. Then we woke up at 5am to the sound of part of our ceiling deteriorating and falling apart over our heads.
So - we dragged the bed across the room and the hunt for a new place to call home began immediately. The next day the internet went out and has been ever since - hence the no blogging. It's been a week since the ceiling incident and amazingly enough I signed a lease on a new place yesterday. We will be moving in Wednesday.
Once I get settled I'll share my new digs and my adventures at Renegade Craft Fair.
Until then.. wish me luck! Time for me to go pack!
oh and check out some of the new goodies in the shop. Tell me what ya think ;)

xo!
Bonnie Rue

Beach Blanket Bonnie

2010-05-03T15:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I hit the road with my manpanion and went to the beach. We needed to get out of the city for a while so we booked a little cabin in the quiet little town of Port Aransas. We turned our phones off, slathered ourselves in sunscreen, rode our bikes everywhere & drank micheladas with sand between our toes. It was fantastic! One day I will runaway, buy an ice cream truck and become a beach bum. I believe it is my calling.

We stayed at this cute little place called the Laughing Horse Lodge. It was kitschy & quiet & cheap - in other words a dream come true. Our little bungalow was called "The Hobby Horse" which we felt was pretty fitting.
Before we left town we stopped off to get tropical pedicures! We didn't plan for them to be girly pink and bad boy blue - that's just how it worked out - cross my heart. It was Austin's very first pedicure and I doubt it will be his last.

Since Austin and I both work ALL THE TIME we were "not allowed" to work during this trip. So there wasn't a lot to pack. I did bring my computer though - which I really only used to check the weather and listen to music. I thought it would be hard not to work for an entire weekend, but turns out I was wrong! Dead wrong!
When we weren't laying low or looking like vampires on parade at the beach we hung out at the local pirate bar - The Gaff. A gem of a place that is filled with characters and hosts belt sander races on the weekends. Yes, you read that right - Belt Sander Races. We did not get to see said races which left me feeling cheated, but that gives me another reason to return.

Speaking of vampires at the beach - we forgot to pack our kites so we went on an adventure to find one. Luckily this tiny town of 3,370 people has a kite shop and we picked up the most bad ass delta you've ever seen! It was black with a big bloody vampire mouth smack in the middle of it. Did I get a picture of us flying it? Sadly - no. Whatever - you try to take a picture of something flying next to the sun and see how it turns out. I guess you'll just have to trust me about the "most bad ass" part. Flying it made me want to get chinese take out and watch Lost Boys like 4 or 5 times in a row. So instead of pictures of a killer kite flying session here's a shot of me looking totally washed up:
The whole trip was totally effing delightful! Going back to work Monday morning felt worse than any sunburn, but you can't have the rainbows with out the rain... right?
Take my advice - raid your piggy bank and get out of town! Make like a tree! Shew! It doesn't have to be a big deal of a trip to make you feel brand new.

To see more pictures of our adventures check my flickr account!

xo!
Bonnie Rue

p.s. Best song to listen to at the beach? Summer Time Rolls ... if you ask me

Your Vegas is showing...

2010-04-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

Yep that's right - Las Vegas has come up with a new slogan (that I find to be 100% hilarious). While I don't think "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" will ever get old, I do think that "Your Vegas is showing" is funny on so many levels! Anything that makes me *blush* & giggle is good in my book! But - what do you think? My manfriend says it just isn't funny. I say he's wrong. So what say you?

Anywho - Why am I going on about Sin City? Because I am Vegas bound!

No, I am not running off into the desert to be married by a pack of Flying Elvi.

A few weeks ago I got word that Model Citizen has been chosen to attend the POOL Trade Show this summer!!! It's kind of like a BIG deal & I am totally "lizzing" with excitement! I never really get to go out of town for work and I've never been to Vegas before - so excitement actually doesn't cover how I'm feeling.

So what is POOL? Well it is "a community of art and design driven brands creating industry connections for creative visionaries" so who is crazy flattered? It is me!

Well, I've got a lot of work ahead of me in order to be ready by August so I better get to it, but I wanted to share my good news with you, because I like you! Thanks for listening ;)

xo,
Bonnie Rue

Crush Alert!

2010-04-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

Allow me to introduce Hilah Johnson - the lead singer of one of Austin's most bad ass local bands, The Hot As Shits & the host of Hilah Cooking! Bust out your bar wear, slip into your favorite apron and get ready to learn and laugh your ass off! She's Hilah-rious!
...I know. So very cheesy.. I couldn't help myself.

Here is a little teaser video where Hilah will teach you how to make one of my favorite adult beverages of all time ~ The Michelada!

xo!
Bonnie Rue

p.s. This is not becoming a food blog. Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a spork in my eye.

And the winner of the Vegan Cookbook Givaway is...

2010-04-19T18:03:00.000-07:00

First off I'd like to thank Snubbr.com for supplying these awesome books! If you haven't checked out Snubbr yet - you totally should. They take the guess work out of shopping! All you do is hit up their site and ask them a question like "What are the best vegan cookbooks?" and voila! They will tell you what the experts recommend.

Wow - I'm super excited to see so many people interested in delicious & healthy vegan cooking! Maybe I'll post some of my personal favorite recipes in the future for ya!

Okay so for total fairness the winner of this bad ass giveaway was selected by Random.org

So without further ado - the winner of the Snubbr.com Vegan Cookbook giveaway is:
#9 aka (b)

Congrats! Please email me at bonnie (at) modelcitizenclothing.com to claim your prize.
If I were you I would get on the horn and invite all my favorite people over for a dinner party to share the love. Share the Love!

Oh and I want to give a special shout out to Jacqueline (#15) for being so nice as to offer to give her book (if she'd won) to the Peterson Family. High 5 for being a Model Citizen! What a doll!

xo,
Bonnie Rue

A Vegan Cookbook Giveaway from Snubbr.com!

2010-04-13T07:28:00.000-07:00

Whether you are vegan-curious or a vegan-veteran this giveaway is for you!
The lovely folks at Snubbr.com want to offer you, my rad readers, a chance to win a vegan cookbook! Which one you ask? Well that is entirely up to you! That's right YOU get to pick one of these 5 totally AMAZING books for your kitchen collection! If you are thinking "shucks - I already own all of these cookbooks!" then a.) you are a bad ass & b.) you could still enter to win because I dare you to come up with a better gift idea than a book that will get your friends and family eating ALL of their veggies. I triple dog dare you!

Learning about Veganism is a must & these books are a fantastic place to start! It's not only healthier for you - it's better for the whole wide world! Seriously.

All you've got to do is peruse this tasty selection, pick a book & leave a comment! The winner will chosen randomly on Tuesday April 20th!

So lets see the goods shall we?

This bad ass book written by Isa Chandra Moskowitz is just that - bad ass! Don't believe me? Well let's see what Joan Jett has to say about it.. "Vegan With A Vengeance is on my kitchen shelf. This fun and creative book is delicious for people like me, who don't eat pets!"

See? Told ya! Don't make me have to get Joan Jett on your ass again!

*Isa is now a columnist for BUST!

Not to be all "Isa! Isa! Isa!" but this lady makes one hell of a cookbook & this time Terry Hope Romero aka The Vegan Latina's got her back! For beginners & seasoned chef's alike Veganomicon was written with the goal of preparing us all for the vegan revolution! Viva!

Do you hear that? It's the sound of your sweet tooth squealing with Joy - The Joy of Vegan Baking that is! Colleen Patrick-Goudreau has done it! A lovely book filled with traditional treats & desserts - Veganized!

Jannequin Bennett's Complete Vegan Kitchen is fantastic for beginner vegans! From easy peasy throw and go recipes to fancy dinner party menus - this book will not let you down. Cross my heart...

Colleen is back and as awesome as ever! I have no idea where she finds the time. She is not only an award winning author but also the founder of Compassionate Cooks, a columnist for VegNews Magazine AND a contributor to NPR. This book has been on my WANT/NEED list for a while... if someone wins this will they make dinner for me?

Oh decisions, decisions... So what's it going to be kids? Make a wish in the comments & it may just come true for you! Again - the winner will be announced next Wednesday!

xo,
Bonnie Rue

p.s. For even more vegan goodness you simply MUST check out my friend The Urban Housewife! She will take you across the globe one delicious vegan bite at a time!

SXSW 2010 Recap

2010-04-01T21:51:00.000-07:00

I know - SXSW has come and gone, but I've been planning on writing about some of my favorites from the week and it's my party so I'll post if I want to... no matter how late or dated it is. Better late than never - that's what I always say!

It was the longest week. My feet hurt in all new ways. I ate like crap. I slept like the dead - but only for a few hours a night. My ears are still ringing. In other words - it was a blast & I can't wait to do it again next year!

We started off early on Tuesday night - hitting up a house party to see a friends band, Black Cock! Fronted by Whitney Lee - one of Austin's greatest photographers, her manpanion Chico Jones (owner & head engineer @ OHM Studio) & her brother Jordan Lee (who you may know from Sublime Stitching) is also in the band. They were AWESOME! Punky, noisy, poppy, creepy, beep beep-y, - I loved it. Makes you wanna throw a tantrum - in the best way possible.

My manfriends band - Lions - played like five times & I made it out to see three of the shows. They played a few new songs that the crowd & myself really liked - which is always exciting! It's nice to see them playing a lot in town - since last year Austin was out on the road so much. Missing people is for the birds. The BIRDS!

Lions @ Trophys SXSW 2010

ANYTIME Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers come with 500 miles of Austin TX - I WILL BE THERE! Luckily once a year I can just walk around the corner and see one of my all time favorite bands. Shilpa Ray is beautiful little beast and in my mind she can do no wrong. I swayed in the sunlight at Shangri La and felt as if all was right in the world as she & her band blew us all away.

JAVELIN! This was a fantastic show - I only wish it had been later in the day.. or at night even. They played the Pitchfork Party at Emo's. I woke at 11am and immediately got dressed and walked over to Emo's to catch them at Noon. I still felt like a vampire by the time I arrived at the club and there was a line around the block. Luckily - I know guy ;)
Once inside the band was already going at it. The best way to describe it is like electric dance candy for the years! Keyboards! Drums! Electric drums too! I will say that while all the grooves are good - the minute you get to comfortable with one they are on to the next. Keeps you guessing! They were signed by David Byrne's record label Luaka Bop last year & their latest record No Mas will be released tomorrow! Check it out!

It felt like a whole lifetime later (when in fact it was just later that same day) I saw The Coathangers I was at the very front of the stage dancing and taking photos. Their drummer Stephanie Luke was so sick. Like literally - she had lost her voice and had a killer cold but holy hell - that did not stop her from giving 187%! She even got up and sang a few - I wanted to hug her and shower her in cough drops. Poor lady. These girls are bad asses and they were a highlight of SXSW experience! Their new record Scramble comes out April 7th!

Another total super high point this year actually took place at my house! Heard of Sissy Bounce? Well Vockah Redu & Cru performed on my front porch and I now know for certain that I simply can not dance. These guys had moves that make my hamstrings ache just thinking about them!

The performance was a part of Aubrey Edwards & Alison Fensterstock's show at the BiRDHOUSE titled Where They At - an exhibition that portrays the founders, architects, and players in New Orleans hip-hop and the uniquely regional rap known as bounce music, a phenomenon that evolved from the communities based in the city’s housing projects. I've rarely been so impressed.

And this is what a SXSW love note looks like:

A 6 pack of local beer & sweet nothings scribbled on the back of an old flier from our lovely friends from the west - Matawan Creek - who spent the week sleeping on our hardwood floors & entertaining the masses... oh and being harassed by my neighbors. Sorry about the graffiti on your car kids ;)

The End

They've got the beat!

2010-03-31T18:19:00.000-07:00

I was recently interviewed by Leslie Henkle at Tom Tom Magazine - a magazine ALL about female drummers! Leslie had some really unique questions that were fun to answer! Check it out ;)
Pretty flattering to be interviewed by such a bad ass! Leslie not only curates the Crash Crash Craft series for Tom Tom, but she also editorializes over at A Mutual Respect.org! She doesn't quit there though - Leslie works for a nonprofit called Bags for the People that hosts bag-sewing workshops all over New York City and now in Jamaica too! PLUS she writes the Tight Pantsy Drew Mysteries, serialized cozy mystery zine set in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, starring hipsters, anarchist freegans, “Chad P.”, and of course the super-sleuth Tight Pantsy Drew!

So - what are you still doing here? Go read about some wild ladies who have a beat you can dance too! www.tomtommag.com

xo!
Bonnie Rue

In sickness... and in white belts?

2010-03-29T08:19:00.000-07:00

I just read that next spring Urban Outfitters will be launching a line of bridal apparel. Will hipsters across the country rejoice? The wedding gowns and bridesmaids dresses will be designed by the Anthropologie design team (owned by UO). They're not just stopping there though - they will also be offering jewelry, shoes, accessories.. even invitations. Eventually their plan is to actually provide wedding planning services, travel booking & of course flower arrangements.

I'm excited to see the designs and I wonder what the price points will be... but I hope that I don't see a million UO cookie cutter wedding photos uploaded on flickr. It sounds like they'd like it to be one stop shopping for your big day. I don't think it should be that easy... but while they're in the designing stages I'd like to request that they made a dress something like this (keep scrolling) - so one day I can get married in it. I simply can not afford this one. I'm just not the kind of girl to buy an $7,000 dress. No matter what. I mean - I'm just going to take it off... and maybe even spill something on it. le sigh.
So ladies what do you think? Thumbs up? Thumbs down? Are you doing a little happy dance? or do you draw the line at buying area rugs & gladiator sandals from UO?

Do Good. Look Good!

2010-03-14T19:41:00.000-07:00

The Spring Model Citizen goodness has arrived!
I had hoped it would all be done by the beginning of the Year of the Tiger, so it's a touch late, but better late than never! All items are available in in Small, Medium & Large at www.modelcitizenclothing.com

There's a lot of lace, a lot of tigers & stripes & hot pink & teal. And with this new collection we welcome the big cat of the sea - The Tiger Shark!
So lets get to it shall we?

Wild Child!
Made of Tiger Stripes & Lace. Screen printed on a black jersey cotton dress.

Outlaw T
Pretty in Pink & Heather Gray.

I love you but I've chosen... Shark Week
Lacey killers - circling your heart! Do you see the Tiger Shark? She's the one on the bottom right... creepin up on ya!

Love in the Bike Lane
Sometimes - you've just gotta do it in the road.

Gal with the Growl Earrings

AND We've brought back an oldie - but a goodie:
Beauty & The Beat!
(modeled by my lovely friend Flip S.)

So, what do ya think? I had to get it all posted before SXSW started. I think I'll be wearing my Wild Child dress quite a bit in the coming week! SXSW brings out the devil in me.

xo!
Bonnie Rue

Becoming a Modern Day Model Citizen Pt. 3

2010-03-13T09:59:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time I started a series of posts all about fun ways to become a Model Citizen... and part 3 has been a long time coming. What else has been a long time coming? Spring! Luckily spring is in the air, blooms are all around and it has inspired me to finally finish this post! So, lets recap - Part 1 was about fun ways for all of us ladies to go green & stop contributing to the landfill. Part 2 was Charity for charity's sake & covered tons of opportunities we have to give back to our community without busting out our check books. So what's the topic of discussion today you ask?

Making the world a lovelier place by any means necessary! Ready to get your hands dirty? Literally? Let me start off by admitting something... I have black thumbs. BUT this is something that I don't like about myself - that I CAN CHANGE! Do you have black thumbs too? Do things go from garden to graveyard in the blink of an eye? Lets make this change and grow together - pun intended! We all know that reading is the best way to learn about anything and I have to say that You Grow Girl by Gayla Trail has really opened my eyes as to where I've gone wrong in the past with my garden patches. You'll learn all about starting from seed, composting, irrigation, container gardens & more! She also has a new book that just came out - Grow Great Grub. I don't have a copy yet but you can bet your pretty pink garden shears that I'll be picking one up soon and you should too. If you are broke but ready to get growing check out her blog.
Fun Fact: The National Gardening Association says that on average families can get up to a $500 return on their investment in gardening. For $500 me & my manfriend can spend a long weekend at the beach! Gardening here I come!

So, maybe you want to see things spring up and grow.. but you don't have any dirt to dig in? Think again! Dirt is everywhere. Sure it may not belong to you but that doesn't mean it's off limits. Grow rogue! Look around your neighborhood. There are medians, patches of grass next to bus stops, unused space in local parks AND yes - vacant lots that are screaming for a little love & affection. There's plenty of fun and sneaky ways to spread that love. Get Fresh Cut put together this rad video that will teach you all about DIY seed bombing and inspire you to transform your neighborhood!
*I will say that you may not want to plant veggies and herbs for consumption in these public places. You don't want to eat kale that was pee'd on by a drunk or fogged out by traffic exhaust. Just sayin'.. Okay - on with the show:

Did that get you all riled up and ready for more guerrilla style beautification tactics? Yes? Fantastic! Let's talk graffiti! No, don't bust out the Krylon just yet.. You will need a beer & a blender though for this most amazing and gorgeously green way to decorate your hood. Mossgraffiti! Okay, this won't work perfectly in all climates - including my own. Not a lot of moss here in Austin, TX... but that doesn't mean I won't give it a shot. You can create any image you like with moss and adhere it to any surface. All you need is:
*1 can of beer
*1/2 teaspoon sugar
*Several clumps garden moss
*1 plastic container (with lid)
*a blender
&
*a paintbrush

It's simple really. Just throw 1 beer, sugar & moss into a bender, mix until smooth or "creamy", transfer it to your plastic container and march out the door to your chosen location. You then paint it onto your surface using a stencil or go freehand if you like. It may not look brilliant at first, but if you stop by your lovely work of art and make sure it stays moist (using a spray bottle for misting) eventually the little bits of moss will start to recover and root springing forth your work of art. After time the moss will grow beyond that and take over the area, which is always a pretty site - in my opinion. North Westerners - I am calling on you to do this! I'll try it here in Austin, I've been scouting locations, but with 107 degree days on their way I'm feeling a little dubious about the outcome. I'm thinking my neighborhood needs one of these devil girls I drew lurking in an alley somewhere... *fingers crossed*

If none of these projects appeal to you but you've already got your hoe in hand and no where to grow you can find a community garden near you at CommunityGarden.org. On the other hand if you are an avid gardener please share your tips of the trade with me! Me and my black thumbs are all ears.. hmm that's a weird sentence. AND if you do or have tried out one of these projects will you take pictures? I'd LOVE to see them! Okay ladies - time is of the essence! Grab your gloves and grow!

Happy Harvesting!
Bonnie Rue

A dance floor tiger lady pumpin everything she has

2010-03-01T07:53:00.000-08:00

This weekend I was schooled. Turns out that from the east to the west - the girls in the middle really do rock the best. Okay, I don't want to say that your weekend plans were lame, but I'm willing to bet my entire wardrobe that I had a more entertaining weekend than you. The city of Austin was blessed with a visit from the worlds greatest Cewebrity - The Midwest Diva herself - Miss Leslie Hall & her incredible Ly's! I was there front & center! Nani Nani Boo Boo! The show was packed & the crowd really brought the bling! A sea of gem sweaters shining brighter than all the stars in the nights sky my friends. No, I don't have any photos. All the pictures I took didn't really turn out or do the event any justice.. but hey, I never claimed to be a photographer! So - I drew this for you instead:
I first came across Leslie Hall a few years back while poking around on the internet looking at billions of beautiful bedazzled garments & accessories. Then *Shazaam* I found www.gemsweater.com & my life was changed forever by a chubby girl wearing gold spandex. My heart began to melt when I laid eyes on her larger than life hair do (remember kids I'm from Dallas, where there's only one rule with hair, the bigger the better) & by the time she started rapping I became completely infatuated with her & her talented back up singers The Ly's. I've laughed til I cried while she raps about the movie Willow. Leslie's Zombie Killer 7" is one of the dearest discs in my collection. Her smash hit Craft Talk plays on repeat in my mind while I'm stocking up at Hobby Lobby... And when the Ly's became flesh & blood Tiger Ladies I went from razzled & dazzled to head over heels faster than you can say Gold Pants! On that note kittens lets all gather around the youtube so Leslie's gemz & jamz can glimmer in our eyes as they well up with tears of joy caused by her seriously hilarious genius.

Aaahhh... That really hit the spot! Am I right ladies? Kitties? She's just the greatest. Also in running for the greatest is Christopher The Conquered who is out on tour w/ Leslie right now! No, there are no tiger ladies in his band, but there is a really awesome horn section & Christopher himself (Crush Alert) will win you over & have you dancing before he's even 3 songs deep into his set.

It was a great night filled with dancing, drinks, ski ball, gemz, jamz, gifting (I dropped off one of my pink Hell Yes brooches at the merch booth for Leslie), best fwends AND I finally got to shake hands with the lovely & talented Rachel Hobson of Average Jane Crafter & Craftzine fame. See - all the cool cats came out to this show! Which means you MUST go! The tour is headed West next - so all my readers in big CA - mark your calendars, don thine gems & let it all hang out! Visit www.leslieandthelys.com for tour dates <3 onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3158/3007166100_2edd47b406.jpg">

Anyhow - If Leslie isn't coming to your town anytime soon you can pick up her records or a pair of spandex pants at the Hefty Hideaway .

So? What do ya think? How did my weekend stack up to yours?

xo!
Bonnie Rue

Year of the Tiger Lady!

2010-02-13T21:46:00.000-08:00

Well, here's a first.. I'm actually blogging in a bar. Like a champ I spent my entire Saturday working at home & then I came down with a near fatal case of CABIN FEVER! So, I slipped on a skirt, threw my computer in a bag & fled to the closest bar I could find that has wifi. I couldn't be in a better place to celebrate the awesomeness that is THE YEAR OF THE TIGER! Don't even get me started on the fact that Chinese New Year falls on Valentines Day this year! Seriously don't - I'll start speaking in tongues or something and that's never pretty. Sure, I know Chinese New Year isn't until tomorrow, but tomorrow is a mere 15 minutes away at this point.
In the eyes of the Chinese Zodiac I am not a Tiger - I am a Cock, but when I go into my cave to meet my power animal I am greeted by a friendly purring Tiger.
SO - THIS IS MY YEAR! Because I say so - astrology be damned.

I'm feeling oh so brave & while some are saying that year of the tiger + valentines doesn't necessarily call for a love fest but I feel ready to prove them WRONG!
I'm feeling lovey. I'm feeling dovey & generally optimistic on all fronts. I know what you are thinking - 'Bonnie's at the bar having drinks, of course she feels like everything is on the up & up' but you are wrong. I just got here and have only had a sip of my cocktail (which is delicious by the way Tequila + grapefruit soda & a touch of salt, Mmmm).

My world is filled with Tigers & we're all doing a very attractive little happy dance (see above). In the next few weeks you can expect to see a few new Tigerlicious T-shirts in the shop - one even includes a Tiger Shark! We here at Model Citizen do not discriminate against any kind of tiger. Also - since it is the year of the tiger Natalie Slater & I will be holding the first ever America's Next Top Tiger Contest! Where YOU my dear readers can write in and tell us all about your lovely selves for a chance to become the next Tiger Lady on a Model Citizen T! When? I'm not quite sure, I will keep you posted.

Anywho - Lets get back to lovey & dovey - Happy VD Everybody! May your day be filled with hugs & wine & duets in the shower & butterfly kisses & spankings (if that's the kind of thing you might be in to). As for me, I'm going to spend the day with my manpanion. He's got a surprise for me! Exciting! So I leave you with this - one of my favorite love songs of all time!
It has the greatest line ever: Hot n heavy, pumpkin pie, chocolate candy, Jesus Christ, ain't nothin' please me more than you....

xoxo!
Bonnie Rue

Excuse Me..

2010-02-10T07:44:00.000-08:00

Not that this blog was ever meant to be about bad ass cartoon characters from the past but I just heard that one of my favorite shows of ALL TIME will be released on DVD on May 11th! That's right ladies MTV has finally pulled it together and decided to release Daria: The Complete Animated Series! I've missed her so! Remember when I dressed up as Daria for Halloween and everyone thought I was the nerdy chipmunk? Shame on them!

You can pre-order your box set now from DVD Empire for $49.99 - which is apparently a savings of $20. Personally - I'm going to go out and buy it the day it's released. I don't want to wait for the mailman. I just don't wanna!

Fun fact: The Daria theme song was performed by Splendora - you can still find their album "In the Grass" (whawha - get it? Splendora In the Grass?) on Amazon.

Please tell me you are as excited as I am!

xo,
Bonnie Rue

My mind on my muffins and my muffins on my mind

2010-01-31T12:00:00.000-08:00

I grew up being entirely in love with Saturday morning cartoons & of course Strawberry Shortcake. I'll NEVER forget how my SS doll smelled. In my younger years she was an awesome cartoon I could only catch on the weekends and as I grew into a (totally insufferable) teenager she became a fashion icon with her striped tights floppy hat and over sized dress. I've seen lots of *sad faces* all over the internet about Strawberry's "make over" & I'm a little pouty too. She's all skinny and flirty - it makes me feel.. wrong.
So let's leave this unpleasantness behind us and move on to a more creative & modern version of Strawberry Shortcake & Her Berry Best Friends...
**Miss Muffy and the Muff Mob!**
They bake. They rap. They have a hooptie & a serious case of potty mouth.

Muffy & her posse were originally created in 1995 by Bullseyeart, a web animation company that did lots of work with MTV. Fun Fact: Pharcyde had a hand in creating making Miss Muffy's awesome rap songs - which are ALL about baking! I spent my Sunday baking muffins and revisiting these fabulous cartoons. I had her music video for "Lubin da hole with sco" on while my muffins were in the oven and Pharcyde was witty enough to include the sound of an oven timer into the beat, so I kept thinking my muffins were ready.. that silly Pharcyde! Bullseye has since disbanded & if you go looking for them you will find Josh Kimberg's new cartoon site Magic Butter which has some new eye candy (some of which can be offensive) and all of his old classics, including Miss Muffy & The Muff Mob.
While I was poking around doing research for this post I found Josh also created the website for the My Little Pony Project! If you are an 80's child & you happened to miss this while it was going on last year you will want to spend your lunch hour fawning over the gallery of these celebrity designed pony's!

Ok - I was serious when I said I baked muffins (I am eatting one right now) and they are so delicious and nutritious. I want to share them with you, but since it is unlikely that you will be popping over to my place later for tea and muffins I'll just give you the recipe and you can whip them up for you and yours.

*Recipe can easily be made vegan by using soy butter (I used Willow Run) & Ener G egg replacer.

Butternut Squash & Cinnamon Muffins with Bananas AND Zucchini!! This sh*t is good for you.

Ingredients
1 banana, mashed w/ a fork
1 cup cooked butternut squash - mashed up using whatever you like
1 small zucchini - grated
2 eggs
1 stick of butta
1/2 cup white sugar
3 Tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour

Optional Topping (screw the calories - go ahead & make the topping):
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions
1. First off Get your oven going at 350F.
2.You wanna mix up all your we ingredients first. Throw the banana, butternut squash, zucchini, eggs, butter (room temp), sugar, and oil into a bowl and mix until well blended.
3. In separate mixing bowl, combine salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, wheat flour and white flour.
4. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until batter forms - this is going to be a sticky one ladies and gentlemen!
5. Pour into greased baking cups or muffin tins, and sprinkle with brown sugar-cinnamon topping (if you are feeling awesome). Makes 24 regular size muffins, 48 mini muffins, or 12 regular muffins and 24 mini muffins.
6. Bake at 350. Regular muffins for 16-18 minutes. Mini muffins for 13-15 minutes.

Ok so there's your healthy dose of Animation & Muffins for the day!
Now go forth and do good things today! That's what I'm gonna do!

Model Citizen and The Sassy Minx!

2010-01-21T07:50:00.000-08:00

Hey Kitties!
Recently UK's one & only Sassy Minx posted a little interview with me about what's going on with Model Citizen. Yay! Who's flattered? It's me! I love Lisa's blog & I just KNOW you'll love it too!

She gives great interview - if you slip over to the sassy minx to check it out you will learn what a Model Citizen soundtrack might sound like, what my motto for life is & find out who I find most inspiring these days.

Tell me - who's at the top of your role model list for 2010?

xo!
Bonnie Rue

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...

2010-01-02T11:27:00.000-08:00

The new year has just begun & I've already discovered a few NEW favorite things that I MUST share with you!

NUMBER 1 is LUSH's Cosmetic Warrior Mask. No, it's not vegan (there are eggs in it), but YES it is amazing. I don't mean amazing like that movie you saw 5 times in the theater or that new pair of boots you bought yourself for your birthday. No no, this stuff is a bona fide miracle that you rub all over your face. I've had acne for as long as I can remember & after using this lovely mask once a day for a week, my face has NEVER been clearer. My pores have NEVER been smaller. I know what you are thinking - If I love it so much why don't I marry it? Well I would! But the courts would not recognize our union and anyway we really need to focus on getting gay marriage legalized first don't ya think?
**Unfortunately you can not order it on their website. You have to pick it up at a LUSH storefront. So find a LUSH near you & run don't walk.

NUMBER 2 Speaking of gay marriage... Nicole J. Georges' 2010 Queer Animal Odyssey Calendar puts the biggest smile on my face & helps me keep track of all my goings on. It's filled with illustrations of animals who appear on the list of 1500 species that display homosexual behavior (i.e. sea lions, koalas, elephants, cows & more). I suggest you get yours today before the year starts to slip away from you.. and don't feel weird about loving this calendar, it's totally natural.

3. Nut Cheese!
Yeah, I know it sounds silly and disgusting, but trust me - it's something you want to put in your mouth. I've been a fan of "sun cheese" (yummy-ness made from sunflower seeds) but I recently made a batch of cashew cheese and it's vegan and effing tasty!
Want to try the nut cheese? I know you do!

Here's the recipe (pulled off the whole foods website)
Ingredients:

1 cup cashew butter
1/4 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

And - here's what ya do:
Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth and combined. Alternately, mix them in a large bowl using the back of a wooden spoon to mash them together. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

good for sandwiches, just dip veggies in it or add a little more almond milk and use it as a sauce for pasta. It's total yum!

2010 Let the fun begin!

2010-01-02T09:09:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Everyone! I hope you were all dancing around with sparklers & making out with a hottie when the ball dropped. 2009 was a real flaming bag of crap of a year. No, it wasn't all bad, but the boat was rocked, no doubt about it. I'm feeling pretty optimistic about 2010 though. How about you? Do you feel like a page has been turned & the bulk of the unpleasantness is over? Here's to hoping!

After my last post I ditched town for a while & went to hunker down with family in an attempt to get out of my funk. It worked! I feel Rah-Rah-Ready to take on the new year!

Resolutions? You bet!

1. Cut the crap. Sure, this sounds vague and a touch overwhelming because there is so much crap in life, but I've got a plan. I've set up a daily schedule so that I will have time for all the things I give a shit about rather than trying to fit them in around all the bs that I have to do. This schedule is my ticket getting what I want out of this life. So for 2010 the mantra playing non stop in my head is Hagrid giving Harry instructions for getting on the train for Hogwarts his first year "stick to your ticket". More time for creativity - less time running around with my head up my butt trying to make it all work.

2. In the spirit of cutting the crap, I'll be spending less time with the people who turn out to be the devil on my shoulder & much much more time with people who want to make & do things. Yay Things!

3. Less TV & more music! Hulu (like so many other things that are bad for you) is awesome. But I'm breaking up with it. Our relationship has become unmanageable & at times codependent. I've decided that I will pop into my local record store every tuesday so I can check out what has just been released and pick up some more ear candy for my collection. This is an excellent plan because every Tuesday at Waterloo Records they have a Vinyl Happy Hour - all records 10% off. Hell Yes!
* Psst! There is a vinyl revival going on! With indie labels selling records that come with a free mp3 download of the album & turntables that will digitize your record collections becoming widely available it looks like records won't just be for hipsters, geeks & dj's anymore <3

4. Juice! Yep, I got a juicer for xmas & I'm more excited than a virgin on prom night! A magical world of sweet & sour & salubrious concoctions await! Don't worry, I'll share some of my recipes with you, because sharing is caring & that's what we're all about here at Good Girls & Geeks ;)... now if only I could juice a cupcake.. nah, they're perfect the way they are.

5. TRAVEL MORE! I do not get out of Austin, TX as much as I should!

Five is more than enough - right? What are your new years resolutions? Going to lay off the sauce? Read more? Learn a new language? Do tell!

xo!
Bonnie Rue

Confession Session...

2009-12-12T12:13:00.000-08:00

Dearest Blog Readers,
As you may have noticed - my blog entries have been few and far between over the past few months. I find myself not writing as much because as mothers have said for centuries - if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. It's been a pretty rough year & as each month passes I fear I have even fewer nice things to report. Maybe you've picked up on my malaise or maybe I've done a good job of masking it, either way I've just been having a shitty year. Forced to move out of my home of 6 years because of sky high property taxes... Problems at my day job (that are far too blah to go into) & recently me & my boyfriend of 10 years almost split up. The cherry on top? This past week I've been sick & in bed. Ugh. It's hard to "just keep swimming" sometimes. I've been creating some new stuff for Model Citizen, but I haven't had time to photograph it & blog about it & I've no energy to try & "sell it". You know what I mean? I'm just not "on" right now. I'm not complaining. I know you can't have the rainbows without the rain. I just thought I'd be honest with y'all.
The good news is - I'm going to snap out of. Soon! Dancing should help. So, without further ado... Jem performing Le Tigre's one & only DECEPTICON! Who's going to dance with me?

Black Friday? More Like Black Magic!

2009-11-25T17:50:00.000-08:00

Finally! The holidays are here! Time to clock out & spend some time around the table with the people who drive you nuts and who you love the most. Then once we've all slept off that massive meal it's time for you know what!!

X-mas Shopping!

For all you Model Citizens out there I've got some good news!

1. There are over a dozen items in the SALE section of my shop right now! T's for $12! You'll also find some Boy Beaters, Bobby Pin sets & Earrings too!

2. In honor of Black Friday, ALL black items in the shop will ship for FREE all weekend long! That includes hoodies, yoga pants, tanks, t's, & dresses! Just enter BLACK MAGIC in the message to seller field when checking out and your shipping will be refunded to you.

3. Since the holidays are all about sharing I'm giving away a pair of custom Best Friend Necklaces! One half will say your name and the other half your best friends! How cute is that? If you'd like to enter to win all you gotta do is leave a comment telling me your favorite song with the word Black in the title.
The first one that pops into my mind is Black Out by Pavement - it's a damn good song.

I wish you all safe travels & a fantastic holiday! Eat a second helping of mashed potatoes for me!
...and of course I urge you to steer clear of the malls - handmade is where it's at! I know I am preaching to the choir, but what kind of Model Citizen would I be if I didn't say something?

xo!
Bonnie Rue

In Love and In Stitches!

2009-11-17T07:30:00.000-08:00

Hello Lovelies!

I've got some good news!

1. Austin TX Finally cooled off. I'm blogging on my porch right now, listening to It's Blitz! sipping coffee in my hoodie & it's a crisp 47°F outside! I know that doesn't sound all that cold, but for Austin TX - that's full on winter! Just sayin.

2. The Sublime Stitching/Model Citizen Ready-To-Stitch Eco Totes are in my shop! AND - they come with floss, an embroidery needle AND How To instructions! This is a limited time offer kiddos. So don't eff around! Oh and BIG THANKS to Amy Bindle of Early Bird Special for stitching the example!

3. Tonight I'll be joining my manpanion, Austin Kalman for dinner @ Uchi in celebration of our 10 year anniversary! In 1999 we both moved to Olympia WA on a whim. We met almost immediately @ Majical Journeys where we both worked as phone psychics. Yes, phone psychics! I fell for him instantly and I'm still falling for him now. It's funny, I can't get away from musicians. On one of our first dates he told me he played guitar and I said "Oh honey - we all do.." Because I'm a jerk, BUT now he's about to embark on his first UK tour with his band and one of his songs actually appeared on Guitar Hero III... So, I was a jerk who is still pulling her foot out of her mouth. I'm so proud of him! Speaking of... I'm going to get off this computer and go give him my full attention. Nothing against y'all* of course.

xo!
Bonnie Rue

p.s. Expect East Austin Studio Tour updates next week!

*yeah, I said y'all. What you gonna do about it?

E.A.S.T. The New Frontier

2009-10-29T08:36:00.000-07:00

Remember how I recently moved into a new place on the east side of town? Well I'm excited to announce my participation in the 2009 East Austin Studio Tour! That's right on the weekend of November 14th & November 21st you can come over and visit me in my studio. I'll have some items for sale and I'll be printing new items too! Oh and there will be drinks and snacks for visitors, you've got to keep your strength up on the tour! So much walking and so much to see! Speaking of - The Birdhouse (my amazing neighbors) will have an awesome group show up during the tour that is NOT TO BE MISSED! To learn more about who is else will be opening their doors please visit the E.A.S.T. homepage!

Praying for Plaid? Hungry for Houndstooth?

2009-10-28T07:08:00.001-07:00

Or maybe just anxious for argyle? Me too!
Tis the season for these preppy/punky patterns - and don't worry because Model Citizen's got your back.

This fall I'm offering a small run of limited edition jewelry featuring more plaid, argyle and houndstooth than you can handle! Why - because I'm crazy obsessed with all three. Seriously - cray cray!

I sat down the other day while I had a cold and designed my own argyle (see with the unicorns!!) and then I could not stop myself. And there is more to come! You know this! Two words for you Cupcake Argyle. Oh yeah - that's in the works! Do not fret my lovely readers, I'll keep you posted.

If you see something you like, but maybe you prefer a different tartan or color scheme please feel free to message me on etsy or email me @ bonnie@modelcitizenclothing.com and I can make you a custom piece. Why? Because I want you to be happy ;)

So tell me, which is your favorite? Houndstooth, Argyle or Plaid? Which do you wear the most of? I think I probably wear plaid the most. Austin recently bought me a plaid dress - check it out!

xo!
Bonnie Rue

p.s. My $12 T-shirt sale is still in full effect... but how long will it last?

Trilogy of Awesomeness!

2009-10-01T06:28:00.000-07:00

Hello loverly readers! Remember how I've been hinting at a Super secret collaboration for months now? I don't have to keep you in the dark any longer! Sublime Stitching approached me a few months ago *swoon* about the Model Citizen <3's Bake & Destroy design I did at the beginning of the year. You know the one - inspired by Natalie Slater & it came with her awesome Nacho Cupcake recipe? It was featured on the Bust blog & we did a huge giveaway? Yes! Now your memory has been refreshed & just in time! Well, that design is now featured on one of Sublime Stitchings Stitch-It-Yourself Eco Tote Bags!
That's Right!
Sublime Stitching + Model Citizen Clothing + Bake & Destroy!

Soon they will be available in my shop too, but here's some seriously amazing new: You've got a chance to win one of these amazing totes, a Model Citizen brooch AND 3 sets of cupcake toppers from Bake & Destory! Visit the Sublime Stitching blog, leave a comment and cross your fingers! The give away ends @ 4pm this afternoon so do not dilly dally!

*You will get a second chance to win a tote here @ Good Girls & Geeks - but not today...

Okay, What are you still doing here? Scram! Go! Win!

xo!
Bonnie Rue

Naughty and Nice Posh Punk Lace Button Set

2009-09-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Now that I have room to play again I have been digging out old craft supplies and playing into the wee hours of the night! These new Naughty & Nice Posh Punk Button Sets are the result of last nights free time! Inspired by my childhood love of Madonna, Pretty in Pink & my ever growing collection of girl band 7 inches, these buttons turned out better than I could have ever imagined! One set of 4 will run you only $9! So strike a pose ladies!

Massive $12 Model Citizen Clothing Sale!

2009-09-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

Like I said in my last post - I'm in a new place now (high 5!) & the show is ready to go on! I'm setting up my new studio at the moment & it's very um, cozy, so - it's time to make some room! How to do that? Four words, ten syllables, twelve dollars...
Massive Model Citizen Clothing Sale!
Over 12 T's Earrings, Bobby Pin sets & Brooches in the shop for only $12 a piece! How long will this crazy sale last? Not forever! It's like Janis always said "Get it while you can!"
Just click on the picture below & you will be whisked away to a land of guilt free shopping!

Etsy
Buy Handmade
ModelCitizen

As things move along here at Model Citizen HQ I will send out another news letter with pictures of my new amazing work space and the scrappy porch cat that hangs around. We've been calling her Ms. Hissy.. but that's a story for another day isn't? Anywho..
As always - I hope you all have a good deed filled day!

xo!
Bonnie Rue

p.s. I'll be showing Melisser of Urban Housewife fame around Austin this week! Expect fantastic photos & tales of good vegan eating very soon!

Moving on up to the East side

2009-09-17T06:47:00.000-07:00

Our move is complete!.. and so is most of the unpacking. It's been long and hard (that's what she said). I know it's not news, but moving SUCKS. It makes everything hurt. At times you want to put all your stuff on the curb and live the "simple life" but, that's not me. I'm not simple. I need this for that and can't get rid of x, y & z because they are needed for c, d & e! So we march on in our journey for order and cozy-ness. And cozy it will be! Our new place is about 1/4 the size of our old house. Eek! Time to get creative! The BIG project has been putting together Model Citizen HQ. There are no pictures yet, but I think this will be the most streamlined work space I've ever had! Super exciting! I've been visiting Apartment Therapy daily for inspiration. Thanks Apartment Therapy!

In other news - Model Citizen will be unveiling some new snazzy designs in October! More dresses ladies! Also - I've got a new super secret collaboration with one of the worlds biggest craft stars that will be released very soon! Unfortunately I can't say more than that for now. I know, boo, hiss - but patience is a virtue, right?

For now - I leave you with a drawing of some dresses I doodled from a dream I had. I hope you like them ;)

Handmade Nation Premier in Austin, TX!

2009-08-31T06:57:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, September 6th The Alamo Drafthouse is hosting the Austin premier of Handmade Nation! A documentary about the craft movement in America by Faythe Levine. If you read my blog I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that you are crafty - or a crafty connoisseur - ergo you must go to the premier. It's mandatory.
Faythe has been traveling all over - premiering her documentary 1 city at a time & I've been eagerly awaiting it's arrival to the Lone Star State! So you can only imagine how thrilled I was to be asked to come and sell Model Citizen Clothing @ the premier! I've got some new stuff that isn't available in the shop yet! Ooh Aah! Other crafty Austinites will be there too - such as Sublime Stitching, Naughty Secretary Club, Made With Sweet Love, Ramonster, One Creative Girl, Pommes Frites & More! Come out, shop, see the film, check out some awesome demo's by Yudu, Wondercraft & Rachel Hobson! It's guaranteed to be an inspiring day! Tickets are still available through the Alamo Drafthouse!

Art of Living

2009-08-26T08:38:00.000-07:00

As you know, I've been bunking up with friends all summer but as of September 1st Austin & I will be moving into our new abode! We are incredibly excited to announce that we will be living in the BiRDHOUSE - one of Austin's latest & greatest independent art galleries. We couldn't have asked for a more creative environment to live in. It's right down the street from Domy Books, around the corner from Okay Mountain and walking distance from downtown and Rio Rita! Plus - this fall Model Citizen Clothing & BiRDHOUSE will be a part of the East Austin Studio Tour.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Now I'm off to day dream about paint color options... I'm thinking peach, gray & cream. The wood floor is painted red, so...
What do you think?

Triumphant Return!

2009-08-17T15:48:00.000-07:00

Hello Lovely Readers!
I'm back from Portland & in a super-duper good mood! Vacation will do that to you *wink*
My arrival to the City of Roses was a late one indeed. I rolled in around midnight on Monday and my friend Eli picked me up from the airport. What a doll! We got up fairly early on Tuesday and hit the ground running. Breakfast @ Paradox was Eli's call and a delicious call at that. I had the vegan "eggs" benedict, so filling, so yummy and totally affordable. Then we were off to visit a ton of fabric stores and to take a stroll across the St. Johns Bridge - which I was totally into and then I sort of wimped out over the height. It's a TALL ass bridge and I'll admit it - I was scaredy fraid. BUT the photo ops from that height we're uh-mazing! See? It was so beautiful it didn't feel real. How many places can you say that about? Well, sure there are others, but c'mon you know what I mean.
There are a lot of reasons to LOVE Portland. The people are friendly even when they're in traffic! On top of being friendly, they are also crafty, stylish, well read & well fed! We went to get bubble tea (the best I've EVER had) one afternoon and I picked up a the Microcosm Publishing catalog! It is filled with crafty and informative zines - TONS of them! I wish Austin's zine scene could compete, but Portlands zinesters are in a league of their own. If you love zines I suggest you give the Microcosm catalog a thorough flipping (or clicking) through.
Unfortunately I arrived JUST after Crafty Wonderland, it's just how the dates worked out, but next year I think I'm going to try and participate. Portland NEEDS some Model Citizen action AND I am happy to report that they won't have to wait until next year for that to happen! Soon - Naked City on Hawthorn will be carrying Model Citizen Clothing! I stopped by one afternoon to met the owner and we are a go! I'll keep you all posted as to when the goods get there.
I also met with Michael @ Tinymeat and got to see their awesome space in the Mississippi neighborhood. We went to lunch and talked about crafting and what is to come next in the craft scene. Enlightening and fun! Before we parted ways Michael gave me a few wallets that I had designed for them and in the coming weeks I'll be giving one of those wallets away to one very lucky reader. Stay Tuned!

A week in an amazing city leaves me with too much report, but here are some other highlights from my trip:
*Seeing Austin's band (LIONS) play a show at the East End with Red Fang! I picked up one of the coolest band t-shirts I've EVER owned!

*Visiting Voodoo Doughnuts in the middle of the night and loading up on crazy deliciousness! We got one TEX-ASS doughnut which was just a big-ass doughnut! Like the size of a dinner plate. We also got a Maple Bacon eclair kind of thing that everyone fought over due to it's extremely tasty nature. Then there was my favorite - The Old Dirty Bastard. Oreo cookies, chocolate & peanut butter. Watch out! It was incredible & edible & undeniably my favorite. This place could keep Portland dentists in business.

*Taking a lot of photo booth pictures with some of my oldest & greatest friends. See:

*The afternoon I spent with Austin @ The Portland Classical Chinese Garden. It's a living museum tucked into the middle of downtown. Once you enter you just forget where you are & it's uh-mazing! Perfect date place, if you ask me.

*And last but not least, my friend Russ from Seattle came to see me for a few days & we drove out to Multnomah Falls. Again - it was so lovely that I just couldn't believe it was real. Strange Magic indeed. I say that because I had Strange Magic stuck in my head for the entire trip. Thanks ELO.

To see more photos check out my flickr PDX 2009 set.

Where did YOU go on vacation this summer? Do I need to add it to my long list of places to see before I die? Tell me all about it!

xo!
Bonnie Rue

Leavin' On A Jet Plane!

2009-08-09T18:50:00.000-07:00

I'm getting out of town for a bit! Headed out to lovely Portland OR to visit some old friends & catch up with my boyfriend while he's on tour playing a couple of shows with Red Fang.

I shall return in a week with lots of photos & fantastical tales of my travels. You can also look forward to the 3rd installation of Becoming a Modern Day Model Citizen. It's going to be all about making the world a lovelier place.

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu
Adieu, adieu, to yieu & yieu & yieu!

Becoming A Modern Day Model Citizen Pt. Deux

2009-07-29T17:05:00.000-07:00

Charity for charity's sake.

I think Lily Tomlin said it best "I always wondered why somebody didn't do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody."

We are all somebody. Maybe not as funny of a somebody as Lily, but somebody none the less. Earlier this week we talked about being green and today I'd like to share some fun ways to lend a hand in your community. Occasionally I help serve dinner at a homeless shelter here in Austin, TX called the ARCH. I'm on an email list and when they need me I go. It's allowed me to meet some really neat people and see a side of my city that I used to just pass by. Since I do not have a lot of expendable income, my time is the most valuable thing I have to offer. I think the same goes for most people these days. And with the economy hurting as it is at the moment there are a lot more volunteer opportunities out there.

Here are just a few:

* If you'd like to get charitable along side your friends I suggest you throw a bake sale or YART sale and donate part of your proceeds to a local charity. Baking some cupcakes and take them directly to the homeless shelter would be a genuinely good deed as well. And perhaps, if you live in a place that is cooler than Austin TX, consider having a picnic in a your favorite park and then literally pick up some litter once you've finished dining with your friends. You could separate all the recyclables and take them to the recycling center and pat yourselves on the back.

* If you are an animal lover you could walk a dog at your local animal shelter. Lots of animals have been displaced as people have lost their jobs and our furry neighbors need some love too. If you fall in love with one of them you could offer to foster them until they find a permanent home. Shelters often do not have a lot of money and this helps them out tremendously.

* Sort donations at a food bank or goodwill. Most of these centers deliver to a plethora of different locations and truly need you help, because it's not all peas and carrots. There's so much more work to it.

* Be a Baby Cuddler! Hospitals, orphanages, group homes & nurseries need people to come in and simply hold babies. These little bundles of joy need human contact to begin developing their social interaction skills. It will literally change their lives. You could help them increase their learning abilities and build stronger self-esteem. Sometimes babies who were born prematurely will stay at the hospital for months, but their parents have to go back to work. That's where you come in, to be there when their parents simply can not.

* Do you have a green thumb? You could help teach elementary school children how to garden and what it means to eat organic! I've seen lots of schools around here put in small gardens for their students. They learn about composting and which bugs are helpful or harmful. Down the road it means healthier kids who care about what they eat and where it came from.

* Every city has a homeless shelter and they often need a lot more than someone to help them serve dinner. They need hairdressers to volunteer a haircut or two so that their clients can go out and get jobs! The ARCH is always asking me if I know anyone who can come teach the men who live there how to play chess. They even have art teachers come volunteer their time so their residents can creatively express themselves.

* Join your local Food Not Bombs chapter. You will meet some very awesome and highly progressive people while getting a lesson in vegan cooking

To find awesome opportunities in your area please visit www.volunteermatch.org - you will be glad you did.

Do you already lend a hand? I want to hear all about it! Please tell me your story in the comments.

xo!
Bonnie Rue

Become a modern day Model Citizen Pt. 1

2009-07-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

I didn't just name my clothing line Model Citizen for any old reason. I chose the name because that is what I aspire to be. Sure, I have a ways to go, but luckily I can't shake that old Gandhi quote "Be the change you want to see in the world" & I just keep on keepin' on the path to becoming a modern day Model Citizen. Join me in my journey!
Over the next week I will be posting some fabulous and easy ways to kick start the Model Citizen inside all of us.

Today lets talk about being Green!

First off, to be a Model Citizen, one must be conscious of their actions and the results of them. Obviously littering is a big no no and recycling will get you high 5's all the way around. But as a lady have you ever thought about how much stuff you throw away every month that just ends up in the land fill? Tampons, disposable razors, cotton balls, maxi pads, etc. Well, we've all gotta cut that out. We've got to replace these things with reusable products that come with much less packaging. Lets have a look at whats available to us these days shall we?

Personally, I don't want to know how many disposable razors I've heaved into the landfill since I started shaving 15 years ago! Don't get me wrong, I loved those little pink razors, I even made a shirt in homage to them, but sometimes you gotta choose function over fashion. Luckily, now you can get your legs bare with care using the Retro Razor! It'll give you a closer shave and the only thing you toss is the metal blade itself. Greener, cheaper, closer!

Say buh-bye to tampons! The Diva Cup is here to save the day & save you money! Yes, it is literally a cup, it does not absorb, it collects. You change it every 12 hours, wash it off and tah dah - use it again! You buy 1 (yes only 1) a year! You won't be asking around in the ladies room for a tampon ever again and you will no longer be throwing away tons of bleached out cotton that had to be grown somewhere. Total Win! If the concept makes you tightly cross your legs and shake your head, remember what the A Team taught you - Knowing is half the battle! Visit www.divacup.com for some in depth QnA. Seriously though - if every lady who read this blog in the last month used a diva cup instead, there would be about 20,000 less tampons in the landfill each month! That's some crazy math.

While we are waving goodbye to tampons, lets say farewell to their Maxi-pad sisters of the south. There are TONS of options for reusable liners these days! They come in all shapes and sizes and are made from a wide array of fabrics that will make you say "ooh aah" and some will even make you chuckle. Etsy has a large selection and you can also check out Lunapads for all your PMS precautions.

Since we're on the subject... I was recently introduced to another eco-friendly creation for your girlie bits. Time to climax with a conscious using the worlds first sex toy made with 100% green technology! The Earth Angel! Dang, even the name is fantastic! This vibrator (and the packaging) is made entirely of recycled plastics AND requires NO batteries! It charges manually through a small crank tucked into the base of the toy. Turn it 4 times and you've got 30 minutes of fun in your hands. Turn it 8 times and it will purr for an entire hour.

Hopefully these few suggestions has you thinking about other things in your life that could be replaced with an item that has a longer shelf life. We've only got one planet and it will really suck if we gunk it up with all the junk we do not want.

For more inspiration in the green department you should calculate your personal carbon footprint with this handy dandy footprint calculator.
How do you measure up?

What's next up on How To Become A Modern Day Model Citizen?
Creative ways to lend a hand!

Until next time...
XO!
Bonnie Rue

Summer Time Blues

2009-07-20T09:15:00.001-07:00

I get hung up on things. Obsessed, infatuated, fixated, consumed, whatever you want to call it. Sometimes it's a fleeting thing and sometimes it becomes a life long addiction .. such as my love for BIG noses & GIANT earrings. These things will never fall out of favor with me. Ever! Currently I find myself feeling Blue. If it's blue, I want it, I need it, I've got to got to have it! And my pocket book is feeling weak under the weight of my desires.

Recently I purchased the most adorable blue shoes from Irregular Choice. I picked them up at Creatures, a little boutique here in Austin that I love! When I put them on there is no way I could feel blue. They scream "take me out, lets dance this mess around!" I must obey. It's hard to say no to Irregular Choice. They recently opened their online shop and I've already picked out another pair of shoes that I MUST have! If you can figure out which pair they are I will send you a Blue Tiger's <3 Cupcakes brooch. Leave your guesses in the comments below! I'll give you some hints - they are tall and blue (of course).

In other blue news I picked up this adorable bag from Eli Makes and it has become my #1 grocery store/ farmers market companion. It's made from oil cloth so it stands up to the wear and tear and is easy to clean. Much appreciated. I can't even tell you how much I love the oil cloth lace that lines the edges of the heart and the trim of the bag. Such a fantastic detail. People always ask me where I got it, so now you know! Thanks Eli!

AND because I am obsessed, infatuated, fixated, consumed, etc. I am currently sporting a bright blue mani pedi (which looks fantastic with my new shoes, btw). When I saw OPI's Blue My Mind I had no choice. My mind was blown and my toes are blue. Making me very blue and very happy. OPI has just teamed up with Sephora for a new line of polishes that will knock your socks off. Which is great because no one can see your lovely feet with socks on. Check it out!

If you actually suffering from a case of the summer time blues I suggest you load up on some blueberries. My boss calls them "the #1 berry" and with good reason. They allow the body a greater ability to release dopamine (the stuff that makes your brain all glowy when you fall in love)! Blueberries contain tons of antioxidants that trigger the growth of new neurons in the brain's hippocampus that governs motor skills, memory and learning. Their smell is known to trigger other feel-good neurotransmitters like and serotonin. These #1 berries also help that regenerate skin cells and their blue color instantly lowers heart and breathing rates and hence, reduces stress. You gotta love that.

In short - blue is the new black!
If you want to win this snazzy brooch just guess which pair of shoes is next on my hit list. First person to guess correctly will be the winner du jour!

*facts about blueberries were lifted from faq.com

There's no place like home! There's no place like home!

2009-07-15T16:21:00.000-07:00

Summer is so serious! It has been NON STOP! Between the heat, work, Model Citizen & trying to find a new place to live I have not had a moment to even begin to update my blog. Which saddens me to no end. It's not like I don't have a place to hang my (fabulous) hat in this heat, but as I've mentioned before, I am staying with friends and living out of boxes during this record high summer. But - that brings me to the big news!

Austin (my manpanion) and I have decided to say Buh Bye to renting and Hello to home ownership! After 10 lovely years of living in Austin we feel it is high time to plant some serious roots and buy into this city that we love so. It's not the most original idea, sure, but we are very excited! It's kind of weird though - all of this is happening while he is on the road touring with his band. So, I've been house hunting rather than blogging, designing and going to yoga.
While I day dream of something like this:

The reality of my bank statement is keeping my head from floating into the clouds.

Ooh - look at the time! I'm off to look at a house now! Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Wheels On Fire

2009-06-24T07:27:00.000-07:00

It makes me pretty sad to think that I haven't had a chance to write a blog post in almost a month! Things have been so insanely hectic! Me & mine moved out of our house in exactly 30 days. That my friends was HARD. Austin (my manpanion) was in the studio recording a record & getting ready for a 3 month tour. I was in the middle of designing new items for fall and creating lots of new jewelry for the Texas Roller Derby Battle on the Bank II - The largest roller derby event in the world! Making a creative mess while packing and downsizing is something I hope to never have to do again. But I have to say - it all went off with out a hitch. I'm in my new temporary home now, living in South Austin with my talented friend Adrienne who is an architect & all around design genius. She is also married to the drummer of Austin's band so we are keeping eachother company while our dudes tour across the US. We work out together every morning and trade off making dinner almost every night. This might just be the most healthy & grown up relationship I've ever had ;)

But what about the Battle on the Bank you say? Well, it was kind of incredible! Women from all across the country came out to compete against our "All Scar" Texas Roller Derby Girls! I spent the past weekend in a huge room filled with some seriously tough women on wheels!

In true Texas style - the theme was capital punishment and when you walked in the door you immediately saw an electric chair sitting just in front of the ring! Kinda scary, but people popped in and out of it all day posing for pictures. The crowd for this event really brought it! I'm talking costumes i.e. Jedi's, Ninja's, peacocks & of course the derby dolls themselves we decked out in war paint, tattoos, super cute booty shorts and flashy safety gear. Eye candy everywhere!

Of course, I was cheering for Austin's very own Lonestar All-Scar Army but the San Diego Derby Dolls reigned supreme, beating the LA Ri-ettes 78 to 76 in the final bout! SO Close! To see everyone's final scores check out www.derbynewsnetwork.com

As if all this heavy competition wasn't exciting enough - I am happy to report that I was in good crafty company all weekend long! So much talent! I had to keep reminding myself that I was there to work and make money, not shop and blow it all. Although I couldn't pass up a bottle of Bruise Balm from Glimmerance. Designed to help heal those of us who like to play rough so we can get back in the saddle a little sooner. I hope every derby doll went home with a bottle of this magical lotion! Oh did I mention that it smells lovely too? '

Other heavy hitters you should know about?
Diamonds & Guns
Devil Girl Designs
Lucy Blue Studio
Goth Martha
&
E Street Jewelry (etsy shop coming soon)

For all you ladies on wheels I highly recommend that you check out Jane Awesome. She has great gear, is a wealth of roller derby knowledge & can help you breath new life into your skates!

And if your wheels are on fire & you like it that way you should pick up a subscription to Blood & Thunder Magazine - the largest magazine dedicated to the revival of this awesome sport! www.bloodandthundermag.com/

xo!
Bonnie Rue

Eight is Great

2009-06-01T18:00:00.000-07:00

Indy Grrrl, a fellow blogger, juicer, crafterella & entrepreneur has tagged me to list 8 things about my life

8 things I am looking forward to:
1.Oddly enough - I am looking forward to moving & spending the summer in flux. My tree needed a good shaking & now it's happening. Time to purge & start over in a new place!
2. Visiting Portland in August! I'm going to escape the heat & visit some old friends!
3. Selling my goods @ the TXRD in a few weeks!
4. Paying off what little debt I have.
5. The next YART Sale (date TBD)
6. Going to see UP with my mister before he leaves for tour.
7. Doing lots of yoga with Adrienne who is putting me up for most of the summer.
8. Our Moving Out party which will be from sun up to sun down next Saturday!

8 things I did yesterday:
1. Rolled out of bed & got a smoothie @ The Daily Juice! Peaches & Maka & Ginko Oh My!
2. Model Citizen inventory & order shipping
3. Packing up the house (boring!)
4. Had a talk with my cat about his much needed attitude adjustment
5. Ordered T's from American Apparel, including XL's for everyone who requested them.
6. Posted some Pink Gunslinger T's in the shop
7. Had an amazing macrobiotic dinner @ Casa de Luz with an old friend
8. Fell asleep early watching No Reservations.

8 things I wish I could do:
1. Tap dance in roller skates... or out of them
2. Speak a 2nd language
3. Be taller
4. Quit my day job
5. Have my cake & eat it too
6. Play the piano
7. Spend even more time volunteering
8. Be naturally good at organizing things...

8 shows I watch:
I don't have cable so most of the TV I watch is either rented/ owned/ or viewed on Hulu
1. No Reservations
2. 30 Rock
3. Six Feet Under
4. Iron Chef
5. The Office
6. Daria
7. My So Called Life
8. The Daily Show

Now to tag 8 people!
Goddesses Are People Too...
Flying Cars & Robot Boyfriends
Tuesday at Eleven
Naughty Secretary Club
Bake & Destroy
Average Jane Crafter
MewFashion
Eli Makes Things

Rhinestones & Roller Skates

2009-05-27T20:10:00.001-07:00

Because packing is boring & crafting things is way fun I took a break from the boxes to create these awesome new Rhinestones & Roller Skates earrings! I'm making tons for the derby next month, but for all you non-Austinites they are up in the shop & ready to roll (pun intended)! Yes there really are little rhinestones in the wheels that catch the light & add to the awesomeness of the retro rollerskates. Soon I'll also have the Skatin' Worshiper Skorts available in LG & XL. If you are interested in either of these sizes you must let me know now as I am doing a limited run of them and most will be going to the tournament. Do you know a team or are part of a team that would like to sport some of my Skatin' Worshiper wear?! If so it is available at discount prices if you are buying for the whole team.
Speaking of discounts there are a few electric blue & hot pink Skatin Worshiper T's marked down in the shop. Once upon a time they were $26 & now they are $15!
Only 3 left so get 'em while you can!

Upside Down Cake

2009-05-24T10:11:00.000-07:00

No, this isn't a post about baking or even cake.. Sorry to disappoint you, but my life has recently become just that - an "upside down cake". For the past six years I've lived on the greatest little corner of the world in an old two story house built in the 1930's. It's where I've been loving and creating my little heart out. It truly has been my home. This is where the upside down part comes in... My land lady has recently informed us that she has to sell this house due to rising property taxes. We didn't see this coming at all & after the heartbreak set in we thought about our options and decided that it's best if we move NOW. Since I run Model Citizen out of this house it feels impossible to keep it all up and running while realators show the house to potential buyers. PLUS Austin is leaving on tour soon and will be gone for most of the summer, so if we had to move in the next few months, I'd be doing the bulk of it alone. I'm not into that AT ALL.

So, to put it lightly, this is a bummer. BUT, at the end of the day I have to admit that a change will do us good. *This is me trying to embrace change rather than resist it* We're going to get rid of all the extra "crap" that has accumulated here, then throw a massive dance party in the empty house & move on.

I'd be lying if I said that the neighborhood hasn't changed. It's happening everywhere! You've all seen it. Old houses and buildings get bought up, torn down & replaced with condo's and town homes. I'm not sure why I thought we were immune to this trend. Naivete I suppose or maybe just wishful thinking. I love these old houses & watching them get torn down & forgotten breaks my heart. I can only hope that whoever ends up here will try to keep the charm of this neighborhood alive by not building some mcmansion here. *fingers crossed*

Since this is all happening so fast & we are unsure of what our next step should be, I will be moving in with a friend for the summer & all of our earthly belongings will go into storage. I think it will be like sleep away camp all summer long, which is really very exciting! I do want you all to know that Model Citizen will remain in business through this process though! If you are in Austin & you want to see the latest & greatest of my creations, you can come check them out at the TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls Banked Track Tournament on June 20th & 21st. I've got tons of new stuff for all you skatin' worshipers out there!

Well, I'm off to pack & make a trip to Goodwill. Bye Bye stuff!

Want. Need. Summer Edition

2009-05-17T15:25:00.000-07:00

Here in Austin, TX summer is in full swing! It's only May & we are getting into the 90's with little to no effort at all. This isn't unusual, I'm just saying - Summer has arrived! I've already been swimming, achieved a less than appealing "farmers tan" & lost a couple of poppy plants to some serious sunshine. So yes, lets bust out the Banana Boat & sneak into some apartment pools!

This is less of a want / need list & more of a Summer Survival check list - and away we go!

First off EVERY girl needs a sun dress & a pair of all purpose sandals or flip flops to beat the heat. I have fallen in love with this Reflection Pool Dress from ModCloth! It's breezy, colorful, strappy & calling my name. I've never gotten over my punk & gothic tendencies. It took years for me to introduce color into my wardrobe... and this dress is the best of both worlds. It will pair up perfectly with my all black Tiddies! Wait? What?! No, I'm not being obscene, not this time anyway.. I'm talking about Tiddies Sandals which are made right here Texas. Soft & squishy (as the name implies), sturdy & guess what kids, they float! So no worries about loosing a shoe over the side of the boat or at the bottom of the pool. You can pick up a pair at www.mytiddies.com

With all the humidity it's best to wear little to no makeup. I suggest a touch of waterproof mascara, a dab of Staniac by the Balm & some 30 spf mineral powder by Peter Thomas Roth. The lip stain is by far one of the greatest purchases of 2009. You only have to apply it once, maybe twice a day & your lips look so bright & lovely. This stuff will never streak! It's my new favorite thing. I'm also pretty in love with this mineral powder. My skin can be problematic in the summer months with all the sweating & swimming going on. It's compact, enough to live in my bag & will help fight off the sun & my dreaded adult acne. Genius!

Speaking of battling the blazing sun, how fabulous are these vintage Ray Ban sunglasses?! I've been excited to see the Wayfarers make a mighty return, but given the choice - these sassy cat eyes would be my pick. I'll race you to the check out line! Now that we've got the look covered, lets talk about the scent of summer. I'm not into being stinky per se, but I really hate perfume and groddy aluminum filled deodorant. Lucky for me, I'm not alone. Christopher Brosius not only hates perfume, he did more than just complain about it. He created a line of perfumes that has been summed up in 3 words "Scent is Life". And that's exactly what you get. Scents with names like Burning Leaves, In the Library, & I am a Dandelion - there is no way you can go wrong.. Scents so distinct that you'll find yourself places you've never been like... At the Beach 1966. Said to smell of Coppertone, wet sand, seashells, driftwood & a hint of boardwalk, I am sold! I can't wait to order a bottle and bathe in it. He has over 20 scents in his collection, you really must check them out www.cbihateperfume.com

No summer is complete with out a reading list & a soundtrack. I'll be sitting by someone elses pool, listening to the Talking Heads & reading a Brave New World.
What are you reading this summer? Have any amazing travel plans or are you going to enjoy a little "stay-cation" this year? Inquiring minds want to know!

Creatures of Delight

2009-05-08T07:04:00.000-07:00

I was checking out some of my blog posts from last year when I came across Making Old Art New Again & realized it was high time I do some creative recycling again. Over the past few days I've been working on these Creatures of Delight Earrings (seen above). If one of these ladies looks familiar it's because she lives on the cover of a Tinymeat wallet!
Perhaps you are familiar with my scribblings & know that I rarely draw pictures of actual people. When I have in the past it's always been practice for the autobio"graphic"al novel I plan to put together one day. For the most part though I draw imaginary girls. Girls who are missing limbs, faceless bitches & anthropomorphic ladies are my favorite things to draw. Oh & hairdo's - always hairdo's! That's where this Creatures of Delight series started, with big colorful hairdo's. I'm from Dallas, big hair is in my blood. The bigger the better! *that's what she said*

When sporting a massive do you need BIG earrings and thus - Creatures of Delight Earrings were born! They are still in production & are not in the shop just yet, but they will be very soon!

I decided to photograph the jewelry before I put the hooks on because geometrically they look soo good together. They wanted to have their picture taken right away & I never say no to a pretty lady who wants to be in pictures. The first batch of these new gems are going directly to Sparrow Collective in Milwaukee, WI (previously called Fasten Collective) which is having it's grand opening on May 16th, 2009. I've been hearing amazing things about this shop, so if you are in the area you should definitely swing by & help Sparrow Collective become what really made Milwaukee famous.

Other drawings are being turned into wearable pieces of art as we speak (er, type)! I'll photograph and post as soon as they are ready to hit the stage.

Out with the Old, In with the Awesome

2009-05-04T15:25:00.000-07:00

If you read my blog often or follow me on Twitter you know that I like to party with a purpose. You may recall my post about the Art Raffle we held a few months back? Well, me & the same group of friends held a YART Sale this weekend @ BiRDHOUSE Gallery. There were maybe 15 people total who brought out their unwanteds for the public to dig through. Clothes, books, records & nicknacks galore! Everyone also brought some art they'd made. Small zines, large paintings, photographs, prints, greetings cards, & even some sculpture pieces. It was really amazing, totally inspiring & quite profitable! I sold a bunch of old clothes, lot's of my new jewelry & a few prints, yay! We sat on the porch soaking up the sun, haggling our tails off drinking Tito's all day. Oh did I forget to mention that Tito's sponsored YART & gave us a case of vodka?! The folks at Tito's are mighty generous. I'm thinking of asking them to sponsor my next breakup... Anywho... Let me show you some of the incredible booty that I scored at YART. Prepare to turn green with envy!

First off Larissa Swindle put this little shindig together. Round of applause for her! I know that getting all of us together had to be a lot like herding cats. She had these amazing photographs she'd taken with her Holga and I was lucky enough to make three of them MINE! I came home & directly hung this shot in my kitchen, so I can see it every day. The kitchen - most popular room in the house.

Clayton Kalman created these "semi autobiographical" greetings cards - which I instantly fell in love with! Sure, Clayton is sort of my brother-in-law, but that doesn't make me biased. Cross my heart. I love that these cards are written on left-over sticky pages from an old photo album. You get the sense that he just had to tell someone this RIGHT NOW & found whatever was near by. I can't count how many times I've run into an X & thought this exact thing. If only I'd had this card or the balls to tell them. This next one is straight out of a movie. "I almost lost my job because I over slept... because you were in my bed." This is a note anyone would love to find on a pillow in the morning. It'll give you goose bumps & make you blush. I purchased a third card that reads "I surrender... I'll do anything you say". See what I mean about the goosebumps? The other amazing thing about these "greetings" cards is that they require no signature. I'm trying to convince Clayton to put these up on Etsy... If you would like to help me persuade him please leave a comment here so I can point wildly at them and make my case. I do have one item for sale in my shop that was created by Clayton - The Sinking Ship earrings. There are only 10 pairs - so when they are gone, they are gone.

Last but certainly not least - I picked up this Fake Steak that was created by a cute little vegan girl named Michelle. This makes me so happy I can hardly tell you! A screen print of a steak resting in a styrofoam shell & saran wrapped for your giggling pleasure. Finally! A steak that is good for something!

YART was so incredible AND we will be doing it again! I hope this post inspires you and your friends to get your YART on!

xo!
Bonnie Rue

New Punk On The Block

2009-04-28T15:08:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time I wore only creepers, sewed all my patches on with waxy cinnamon dental floss, sported a nail in my septum piercing & shaved my head with a daisy razor, it's true. While I never left the music or ethics behind I did lose the nail & let my hair grow out (my mother couldn't be prouder).

Lately I have been overwhelmed with nostalgia for the grrrl I see in my high school year books. It may have a lot to do with some of the current fashion trends I'm seeing EVERYWHERE! From Etsy to Elle - Punk has been polished, embellished & revamped. Notice that I didn't say resurrected... Plaid, chains, zippers, studs & fishnets - all marching down the runway. Totally polished. Totally punk.

A few of these items have some very "unpunk" price tags. This white Thakoon shift is an updated nod to the bondage pants I once wore religiously, but for $1,500 I'd have to get married in it! Which isn't a bad idea come to think of it... It would also be fairly simple & loads of fun to recreate! On the flip side this Hexagon Necklace from Good Friday is about as punk as it gets. Handmade by a rebellious girl named Rebecca in West Hollywood AND it will only run you $34.

All of these designs could easily be turned DIY with just a few studs, spikes, sequins & a few rolls of ribbons that could be used as fancy patches. Turn a pair of fishnets into something unreal or change the hemline of that old tartan mini skirt & wait for the heads to turn. You may have a hard time finding cool studs at your local craft store but thats what the webernetz are for! Check out Studs & Spikes for some truly tough touches.

I don't even want to know what this Rodarte get up would cost, but a pair of scissors will lead you down the path of pure punk rock perfection. Thrift it, slice it, chop it up & if you lose control, taking it a little too far pick up some zippers and put it back together. Speaking of zippers, I have an all consuming crush on Kate Cusack's creations. Stunning bracelets, necklaces & more made entirely of zippers. They twist, turn, & coil making my heart growl. Finally fashion that shows it's teeth!

Recently I picked up a fair amount of colorful vintage Chanel chain. It's light & flashy & an answer to my prayers. While Chanel is very posh - it never struck me as punk. I've made it my goal to bring it to the other side. In the coming weeks I'll be posting lots of new chain link jewelry in the shop like these Posh Punk lavender & gold earrings you see here.

In short, I'm happy to report that punk is not dead. It was just a nasty rumor.
It is alive & well & prettier than ever!

For the Love of Wiener Dogs and Yard Sales

2009-04-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

Allow me to apologize for my lack of blogging over the past few weeks. Things have been hectic. Lot's of work & a fair amount of play. This past weekend my parents came to town & we took my grandmother out to see the wiener dog races. Yes, you read that correctly. Wiener. Dog. Races. Talk about cute overload! So many tiny dogs wearing costumes & loping around. Our faces hurt from smiling. So, ya gotta forgive me for ignoring my blog momentarily. If you are having a hard time with this forgiveness stuff, just look into these puppy dog eyes... that always works.

When I wasn't hanging with my fam & watching little dogs speed down a track I've been scratching things off my to do list. 1.Making tons of jewelry for a boutique in Milwaukee called Fasten Collective (soon to be called Sparrow Collective). They are having their grand opening party on May 15th & I want them to be stocked up for it! Speaking of new stores... Is there a boutique in your town that you think would like to carry Model Citizen Clothing? If so please drop their name to me! If the store ends up carrying the line I will send you a special thank you gift in the mail. Why? Because sharing is caring people! Don't you forget it!

I've also been preparing for one of my favorite things - YART! Not sure you know what a YART sale is?

Yard Sale + Art = YART Sale!

On Sunday May 3rd myself & about 15 other artist will be putting it all out on the lawn @ BiRDHOUSE Gallery (1304 E. Cesar Chavez). Paintings, drawings & crafty fantatic-ness PLUS records, clothes, furniture & more. You think the fun stops there? No freakin' way! Larissa tells me that there will also be "baked goods & popsicles & beer & at least one kiddie pool & a polaroid photobooth!" Oh yeah & a Bloody Mary Cook-off, sponsored by Tito's Vodka!
Personally I will be selling off quite a bit of my wardrobe & lots of accessories. Some furniture & awesome accents from my casa will also be available. OH & I'm getting rid of a pair of Betsy Johnson sunglasses as well! On the CHEAP. They are in perfect condition, they just aren't right for my face. As for the ART part of YART - that's a surprise. I can tell you this though... I think I'll be bringing those Nacho Cupcakes. Oh yeah!

*Big Thanks to Josheesh for the photo of his adorable wiener Laika.

Happy Earth Day! Don't forget to clean up after yourself!

2009-04-22T07:01:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning to find 7 emails suggesting multiple products I should buy in celebration of Earth Day... don't get me wrong - I am a consumer, I enjoy shopping.
It just struck me as fairly odd that shopping is the number 1 suggestion I've heard today when it comes to celebrating Earth Day since consumerism plays a big roll in the state our world is in.
It's true, companies were suggesting I buy something recycled & I do. I recycle the crap out of recycling itself! But this should not be a celebratory action. Every day we should ask ourselves questions about the products we buy & what the consequences of their use will be.

*Is this a recycled product?

*Was it made locally or anywhere near by?

*What is the life span of this product & what will happen to it when I no longer need it?

*Can it be recycled when I am done with it?

I realize I am preaching to the choir so I'll knock it off. In short if you want to do something for Mother Earth today then I suggest you get off the computer and head for the out doors. Take your camera, grab a friend & a picnic lunch. Go get a closer look at what's out there that's worth saving. Other fun activities for today?

Plant A Tree!

Fly A Kite!

Hug A Bug!

Jump In A Lake!

I hope to see you out there!
Bonnie Rue

And the winner is...

2009-04-17T07:35:00.000-07:00

First off, I'm just astounded by all the entries! Thank You ALL so much for participating. One Hundred & Twenty Two entries! Crazy! This collaboration & giveaway was fun for so many reasons! Working with Natalie has been amazing! She's so creative & funny! When she sent me the Nacho Cupcake recipe I laughed out loud! I never saw that coming & the moment I read through the recipe my stomach growled, only proving that it was perfect to be paired with the Bake & Destroy Tiger Lady T-shirt! Also I have been introduced to soo many amazing blogs from all of your comments! You are some seriously interesting ladies & I want you to know that I will be reading your blogs in the future! Oh, & getting a mention on the BUST blog didn't suck either... did anyone else see this?

This contest has been such a success, there will certainly be more in the future! I want you to know that I just threw all your names in a hat & had my boyfriend pick one out. That's the best I could come up with so that the winner would be totally random.

So without further ado, envelope please!

And the winner is...
rice-dream-girl!!

*applause*

After her name was drawn I looked up her comment & checked out her blog. Homegirl is a vegan baker & blogger from the UK & I have to say her confectionary creations look pretty dang yummy so check her out!

Again - I found so many wonderful blogs through the comments that I may have never known about otherwise & I urge you all to scroll through & check a few out!

High 5's to all the contestants!
Expect another awesome give away next month!
I'm thinking it will have something to do with knitting...

I can't believe my eyes!

2009-04-15T03:51:00.000-07:00

Wow! As of this morning there are 100 entries to win the Model Citizen <3's Bake & Destroy Giveaway! If you haven't entered to win, no worries! You still have time! I won't be announcing a winner until Friday. One lucky reader will have a bad ass T-shirt, an awesome cupcake recipe & a killer
embroidery pattern to call their own.

In the meantime, it's April 15th... And to turn your tax time frown upside down Model Citizen is offering 15% off ALL dresses & skorts. This is only for 1 day, that's 24 hours only. Some dresses are marked down lower than the cost of T-shirts. What is it they say?

It's not a deal. It's a steal!

If you are looking for some tunes to soothe your tax times woes NPR has some suggestions & of course I do too. Here's a mini tax time mix for your listening pleasure.

Tax Time

Bake and Destroy Giveaway!

2009-04-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

Spring is in the air & new springtastic designs are in the shop!
Including the much awaited confectionary collaboration between myself & Natalie Slater of Bake & Destroy! I've always said that my Tiger Lady designs are inspired by women that I *R-E-S-P-E-C-T* & naturally, this one is no different. What is different about this shirt is that this is Natalie down to the unicorn tattoo on her leg and when you purchase the shirt you will recieve a free cupcake recipe created by her. She is a working mama who finds time to whip up unique & tasty treats, keep an awesome blog about her baking adventures & she also writes for many other publications & websites about topics ranging from getting tattooed to professional wrestling and anything having to do with zombies! She is no one trick pony - that much is certain. Where does she find the time?!
Natalie, what is your secret?
AND she does it all while looking cute as a button & her son Teno in tow. No small feat.
I know you've all been on the edge of your seats waiting for me to reveal her cupcake recipe that comes with the T-shirt & the time has finally come! I really am glad you are sitting down. Drum roll please......

Nacho Cupcake!!!

Don't resist it. Nacho Cupcakes = pure genius! I mean can you say h'orderves?!
Picnic lunch? Midnight snack? I'm really just too excited about them.

So to celebrate this collaboration finally becoming a reality, allow me to announce my first ever blog giveaway! One lucky winner will receive one of these fantastic Bake & Destroy T's (either with the white or without), the Nacho Cupcake recipe that Natalie created & one Krazy Kitchen embroidery pattern by Sublime Stitching!

To win this trilogy of awesomeness all you have to do is comment on this blog entry! A winner will be selected randomly on Friday, April 17th, 2009. That's one week from today. Comment about anything. Visit Bake & Destroy to check out Natalie's other uh-mazing creations (i.e. horchata cupcakes) & report back. If you've ever used one of Sublime Stitching's patterns before ad a link to your finished project. Or - a great knock knock joke is always welcome!

I can't wait until next Friday!

I want to thank Natalie for teaming up with me on this & I'd like to suggest you all do the same. Contact someone that inspires you, flatter them & then put your heads together! Get Crafty!
I'd also like to thank the nice ladies @ Sublime Stitching for donating this awesome Krazy Kitchen pattern!

Where in the world?

2009-04-07T08:34:00.000-07:00

Two weeks since my last blog post? Wow.
I've been a bad blogger. Seriously.
I have a good excuse though! I got the illness!
Some of my SXSW guests left me with something close to the flu. Fever, aches & pains left me doing lots of sleeping & asking for my mommy.
I'm better now. I'm gonna make it!
Since the healing began though I have been digging myself out from under a pile of work. Hence the not blogging. Also if you were one of the many people who ordered something while I was confined to my bed - I want to apologize for the delay in shipping. All items have made their way into the postal system & are on their way to you now!

While I slept off my sickness the world came into bloom! Spring has sprung! If I hadn't been taken out of commission I would be blogging about all the new designs that are available for spring... but that will happen later this week. New dresses, scorts, t's, & I am reprinting the yoga pants! If you've been wanting to purchase a pair but I didn't have your size you can go ahead & order them now! That's right SM-XL in the shop & soon on your doorstep!

Model Citizen Tote bags are also back in the shop. I did a limited run so get it while you can! Cupcakes & Tigers for EVEREYONE!

Speaking of tigers & cupcakes... I have an exciting collaboration to tell you about!
Natalie Slater of Bake & Destroy in Chicago has teamed up with me to bring you my two favorite things - fashion & food!
That's right, Natalie is my next Tiger Lady du jour!
By the weeks end I'll have T's in the shop featuring tattooed Natalie & her stellar cupcakes, but wait! When you purchase the shirt you get a never before released Bake & Destroy cupcake recipe that is to DIE for! Seriously.
Want a little preview? You got it!
I am very excited about this collaboration! I love Natalie's blog. She's so funny & talented & one of the coolest mama's ever! When the shirts are done I will post more pictures & give you a little insight on the super secret recipe she sent me!!

Now I'm off to continue playing catch up!

xo!

No rest for the wickedly intoxicated

2009-03-23T19:40:00.000-07:00

The week long party that is SXSW has come to an end. I made it through unscathed.
Not all party goers can say that. I saw quite a few people who had more than their share of fun. I'd like to remind those people that free drinks aren't always free - sometimes they will cost you your dignity & maybe more. I found the crowd at SXSW this year to be a touch more debaucherous than normal.

Note: if debaucherous isn't a real word it should be

I spent the week bouncing around from venue to venue either delivering Vice SXSW Music guides or getting a earful of music from all over the globe. AND not being ridiculously intoxicated. See people - it can be done.
It was quite an adventure & I met some real characters. One of which will live on in my memory forever & I didn't even catch his name. He was a young squatter kid who helped me carry some stuff to Beauty bar through a pretty rambunctious crowd. When we arrived at our destination I thanked him & paid him $5 for his trouble he then said, & I quote, "You are beautiful, I love you!" & threw his fist in the air!! This was definitely a high point.

*blushing*

I also met Aaron from Red Fang (pictured on the right) who helped me deliver the rest of my SXSW goodies. In return for his kindness Austin & I let him & the rest of Red Fang camp out at our house for the remainder of the festival. Let me tell you - those boys can get down. There are no words - just check this out and you will understand.
So, Thanks Aaron for being a total doll! You & the rest of the fang are always welcome here!

I had a super long list of people I wanted to see this year, which turned out to be a little too ambitious. Most of what I saw was amazing though. Lions played 3 times and they brought it every. single. time! The Subpop showcase was fantastic as well. A building full of beards and two stages filled with the labels latest and greatest. I really enjoyed The Baptist Generals set, they played on the floor & the crowd sat indian style around them, swooning & singing along. Obits played after the generals. I'd never seen them before and I'm thrilled I got the chance. I highly recommend you pick up their most recent release I Blame You.
I also saw a band I've blogged about before, Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers. Shilpa was uh.mazing and her hookers were indeed happy. My socks were blown off. She played the Brooklyn Vegan showcase @ Club Deville. Come to think of it, the two greatest shows I saw all week were on this stage. Ponytail performed there on Saturday night. Not familiar with the catastrophically euphoric wonderment that is Ponytail? Well run, don't walk if they are playing in a town near you. Seriously. They are so bright & yet alarming - they will thrill you. Well, if you like the unusual that is.
Another highlight was the photo booth @ the Vice Saves Texas party. We walked in to find that they were serving free Hornitos (danger! danger!) and shortly after we located the photo booth. Before we climbed in we noticed there was a disclaimer on the booth, it read "Hornitos is not responsible for any guilty regrets, broken hearts, failed relationships, or bite marks, that may have been caused due to the use of this photo booth." We threw caution to the wind & proceeded to LIVE in there! So much fun! Oh & did I mention that the photos were free? Because they totally were. Thank you Vice for coming to save us and lavish our southern asses with free tequila & photo booth fantastic-ness. To see more photos visit my flickr page.

It wasn't all fun & games though. There was one pretty big disappointment. The last show we went to was a total bust. Austin & I hoofed it over to the Central Presbyterian Church around 1am to see Marnie Stern (who I love). There weren't many people attending, we felt like we were going to witness SXSW magic! We sit down in a pew all a titter, ready to be blown away. She comes out looking adorable & yells "Vagina!" we all laugh. She then tells a story about her drummer getting in a cab earlier that day with no intentions of coming back for their showcase. So, she got members of Trail of Dead & Crystal Antlers to fill in. Now we were really excited! A SXSW show off the beaten path with an unlikely line-up! I figured I'd get to rub this experience in everyone's face for years to come... Unfortunately - They did. not. deliver. It was a train wreck & I just couldn't watch. I think she was just having a bad day, so when she returns to the great state of Texas, I will be there. Ready to wipe away the memory of the Presbyterian Church forever.

And now we are up to date. I am tired, my feet are blistered & have no desire to drink anything with anyone anywhere. Me & the mister have had a quite night at home, we made a big pot of healthy & delicious pho to help nurse our wounds. Speaking of my mister, I'm going to go see what he's doing. I'll leave you now with some photos of a SXSW Treasure Chest and other random goodness. Nite Nite!

xo!

Whistle While You Work

2009-03-15T22:24:00.001-07:00

That's what I'm going to do.

SXSW is moments away! I've been a busy B trying to prepare for the shock to my system. Busy & super excited! Guests are flying in Wednesday and the house is almost ready. My boss is out of town until mid week so I'm holding down the fort by myself... Plus I'll be distributing all copies of VICE Magazine's SXSW Music Guide! Oh right and I need to restock Hovercraft & The East End Craft Gallery with spring goodness. Hoodies & Tanks here we come!
*Have I bitten off more than I can chew?*

No Way!

So what's been getting me through this hectic time? Well I've been listening to a lot of ladies from the west coast.
Hailing from Sacramento - Agent Ribbons - would be at the top of that list. She will be performing @ SXSW 5 times!!!
DO NOT MISS HER!

Also passing through my ears these days? My all time favorite (!!!) Songs for Moms. *Listen to "My Skin is a Grave Yard" - it's my favorite to sing in the car while I drive too fast*
If Dead Milkmen had not been men and rather women - they'd have been Songs for Moms. I love this band so much I actually did mail them a fan letter. If you find yourself crushing hard like I did then drop them a line:

Songs For Moms
1127 Peralta St.
Oakland, CA 94607

I'll probably be tweeting more than blogging during SxSW. Not following me on Twitter? Why not? I thought we were friends.

xo!
Bonnie Rue

Sunday, Bloody Fabulous Sunday

2009-03-08T08:06:00.000-07:00

*Stretch & Yawn* What a fantastic weekend! It has been so fun and relaxing. Oh yeah & it started on Friday! I decided to play hooky so I could run around town with my dear friend Kym. We sipped Tea Sparklers from Whole Foods while participating in some shop therapy. Like everyone else, I've been super frugal lately. Not spending a dime on things that aren't entirely necessary. For the weekend though - I said "eff this" & picked up a few things that I felt I could no longer live with out. We hit up Parts & Labour* first where I had to say "no" to an adorable dress from House of Dang (out of Dallas). It was something I knew I could wear to death, but was about $50 out of my price range for the moment. Then we slipped into New Bohemia where I couldn't help but pick up this little rock n roll sweater tank that screamed "Debbie Harry" & was under $20! I will 'wear it to shreds' this summer! In fact - it may be unrecognizable in only a matter of months, because it is so comfy & will totally work in the hot hot weather that has already started to come around. Thanks New Bohemia!
Next we were off to Toy Joy (pictured at the very top) where Kym purchased tons of kitschy little Japanese toys. This place is so overwhelming in the most perfect way possible. I love it for it's over the top whimsy & amazing collection of plastic bugs, dinosaurs & deep sea creatures. They have bad ass board games too. I was ten seconds from buying the Dirty Dancing game when I decided on a flock of pink flamingos instead. That sounds logical right? Finally I felt a little too cross eyed & temped from being surrounded by soo many toys so we hopped back in the car & trucked it to BookPeople, the largest book store in Texas. I walked in with a shopping list, that if fulfilled, I would certainly have gone broke. After shuffling around for a while with an arm load of books I reeled it in & checked out with The Naughty Secretary Club: The Working Girl's Guide to Handmade Jewelry & a copy of Elle. Which of course I am thrilled with both. Feeling a little 'spent' we ended our Friday shopping spree & headed home to play with our goodies. Friday night I stayed in with my manfriend & studied my readable purchases. Best. Evening. Ever. The Working Girl's Guide to Handmade Jewelry is FANTASTIC! So very creative - it will make you look at literally EVERYTHING as a craft project possibility. I know Jennifer Perkins to be hyper crafty & the book really tips you off to whats going on in her head. She urges you to collect "stuff" & always be on the prowl for things that can be reborn as something wearable & totally unique. Which I appreciate, It helps justify my hording to a degree.

Saturday I stuck around the house to clean & organize things. Geez - I feel like I'm always *trying* to organize things! Anywho, speaking of looking at everything as a craft project possibility... Austin found an old drawer tossed out in someone's yard & brought it home the other day. So - Saturday morning we drank our coffee, spray painted that sucker & screwed it to the kitchen wall, turning it into a most unusual spice rack. Spray paint really is as necessary as duct tape in my world. See our collective crafty work:

It's so perfect! I'm in love with it & I'm so glad that it was Austin's idea. High 5 Austin! Once it was mounted he headed off to work & I continued on the path of cleanliness & order. The pile for Goodwill doubled in size as I went through our clothes.The living room got a mild make over & then I had to stop working on the more "fun" projects & pay attention to the grown up stuff. Doing our taxes this year was a little messy & we made our selves a promise that this will never happen again. Allow me to introduce our new filing system!
Never again will we go hunting for anything. Piles of receipts & accordion file folders that can be moved around - NO MORE! It all has a home now & it's so colorful & organized.
It's hard to believe I did this. But I did! If you too are organizationally disabled I am here to tell you that you can overcome. You can know order! You can know where your keys are or even that receipt from the record store that you can totally write off as "Research". You just have to focus. Use the Force! Don't go to the Dark Side...

Tired of working the left side of my brain I took a trip to Domy Books for some craft fair action & to see Nicole Eriko Smith's Consent to Play opening. It was incredible. I love her work. Mischievous, expressive creatures drawn out with a very light hand & precise detail. If you are in Austin DO NOT miss this show. It will be up until March 14th.

While at Domy I picked up something I've been wanting for quite a while! Hand Job by Michael Perry. I haven't fully absorbed it yet. An inch thick catalog of type - all hand drawn obviously. I think I will leave you now & spend some time in the hammock flipping through this monster!
Hello Inspiration Station!

Have a fantastic Sunday!
xo!
Bonnie Rue

Thank you, and you and you and you and you and...

2009-03-03T20:24:00.000-08:00

I want to thank you all for your comments and emails! What precious people you are!
And now it is so! There are 4 prints available on my etsy site. More to come very soon! I'll open another shop when I dream up the perfect name and it will be all prints all the time!

Once again - thanks for the push - you all rule the school!

More Etsy?

2009-03-02T21:47:00.000-08:00

I've been going through a drawing craze. Staying up to late with my pens and my scanner and my wheels turning. It's been nice. A lot of the artwork I do does not fall into the category of Model Citizen. I have so many other ideas and Model Citizen is definitely it's own creature.
It's crossed my mind that I could open another etsy shop and sell prints of these late night illustrations. I thought maybe I could just put them up in the shop I already have, but the two don't really mix. Or they don't seem to in my mind. So, I am asking you. Are these things print worthy? Would you pay $20 to see them on your wall? Would you want to trade a print of something you made for one of them? Have a gander and leave me a comment telling me if you think I should just keep it as a midnight hobby or if it would be cool to make them available to the public.

So? What do you think. No worries, you won't hurt my feelings, it's just a thought.

xo!
Bonnie Rue

She Who Holds The Key

2009-02-28T15:37:00.000-08:00

While attempting to de-clutter my house I came across my collection of unidentified keys. There were almost a dozen of them and there was no way I could just toss them out! That would be so cruel! I mean, some of them were gifts intended to be crafted with. Some (I believe) were from jobs I hated & others are a total mystery. They'd been hanging around here for this long just waiting to be revamped, so I drank a lot of coffee, popped in Teen Witch & got to work! This was a fun project for me because I was able to create some things that I wouldn't normally. Sometime you just have to venture to the other side of your crafty tracks and try something new.

This one is my favorite. This key is not a mystery, I know exactly where it came from. It was the key to the first apartment I ever lived in alone. I was 19 & had just broken up with my boyfriend. Most of the time I lived there I didn't even realize how great it was to have my very own place because I was so broken hearted. But - this wasn't the key the office gave me, this a copy I had made for my boyfriend when we started dating again. I know - how can I get rid of something with so much sentimental value? Well, we've been together ever since I gave to him so I like to think that this key is lucky. I want spread the luck & the love around. Maybe it could be the key to your heart too...

One of my ALL TIME favorite movies is Return to Oz and this necklace reminds me it. Not only because of the chain (which is vintage Chanel by the way) but because of all the keys that Mombi wore around her wrist. Remember they allowed her access to her collection of heads? I thought she was so creepy & because she was creepy she was COOL! Am I alone here? I mean she had a gang of Wheelers! Wow. Anyway, I digress. The key that brings it all together is unlike any other I've ever seen. I'm not sure what it was ever used for but I love the design so much. It looks like it really means business. Who ever said keys had to be boring?

Before I went on decorating the rest of the keys I became inspired to make my own. I had an idea for this shield floating around in my head for a while but was unsure how to finish it off. Duh! Turquoise key! Do expect more keyed up jewelry, I'm not sure when I will get all of them, but I intend to make every last one of them wearable art. If you have extra keys laying about I'd love to see you make something out of them! Lighten the load from your key ring and get crafting! Then, pretty please show me what you make :D

All items seen here are available @ www.modelcitizenclothing.com

p.s. The pictures in this post were made possible by the all too giving and unbelievably sweet ♥ Patri, who contacted me out of the blue on Flickr and offered me a camera that she was no longer using. Thank You so much! Alright everybody! Big Applause! Let's show this lady some love!