Day 18...

The meaning of my blog name, and a song I wish I heard on the radio.

Embarras de richesses = an embarrassment of riches en français. I like France, I live in Paris, and plan on living here the rest of my life after college, so I guess something un peu français was appropriate. Also, at one point this blog was all about things that I lusted after in the fashion world. Hence why an embarrassment of riches was appropriate. I guess now it is all about who knows what, so the name has lost it's luster in a way. 

Britney Spears - Till The End of The World. 

I'm crazy about Britney's new sound. Whoever her producer is that has introduced her to electronic music and infused a little bit of dubstep into her sound is a genius. It is that perfect mix of pop and dub. Dubstep, while a great sound, is often tainted with overtones of sexism and violence, but Britney counteracts that. She has enough of it where dubstep producers are going at it, making amazing remixes, that have all that wobbly bass that makes dubstep so attractive, without all the negative that can be associated with that genre. I haven't been listening to the radio since this song came out, so I don't know if it is playing on the French top 40 stations quite yet, but I certainly hope so. It's Britney, and she is back. 

Day 17...

10 things I want to do before I die, and a song I like on the radio. 

In no particular order...

1) Obtain a respectable position in my field of work. 

2) Own an apartment in the 4th. 

3) Travel the world and visit places I've only seen in National Geographic; Mont Saint Michel, Angkor Wat, Lake Malawi. 

4) Start a serious fashion collection, aka clothes I don't wear but have because of their significance in fashion. I've started it with a few Margiela and Helmut Lang pieces, but I would love to expand it. Get some beautiful Raf Simons and Hedi Slimane for Dior Homme pieces. 

5) See my designs on someone on the streets. 

6) Start a serious furniture collection. 

7) Conquer my fear of heights somehow. Preferably not involving heights. 

8) Learn to speak at least two more languages fluently. French and German, I'm talking about you. 

9) Get a international license, and a vehicle for whatever country I am living in. Oh the things I would do to have a motorcycle here. One day that vintage Ducati will be mine. 

10) To add to my list of things to do before I die, because struggling to come up with only 9 things is ridiculous. 

Colonel Reyel - Celui

I really like this song a lot. Maybe because I have a soft spot for commercial hip hop, maybe because I don't understand the lyrics? Ok, I do understand them, but it took a lot of listening to pick up all the words.  Also this music video makes me crave the Bahamas. A trip to St. Maarten anyone? 

Day 16...

What is in my bag, and a song I used to love but now hate.

J.Crew tote bag, Macbook, iPod Nano, Sony Cyber-shot camera, Burberry pouch that I put my change in, Prada wallet, this mornings issue of Metro, leather pencil pouch full of Copic pens and tech pencils, keys, two usb stick, Burt's Bees honey lip balm, Korres guava lip butter, YSL Touche Éclat (the most amazing thing ever to get rid of all the signs of art school fatigue, including those horrid bags under my eyes), Moleskin planner (can't live without that), android cell phone, tic-tacs, metro pass. 

It's a lot of stuff, and it weighs a lot too. Like I said yesterday, I carry my life in my bag. Normally I have scarfs and whatnot in there also, but it was 60 degrees today, and so I went without bringing one with me. The Parisians are still bundled up in their winter parkas and scarfs, while I am contemplating bringing out the sandals.  

Benny Benassi - Satisfaction

I think this is the only electronic song that a lot of people actually recognize, and by electronic I mean not dance music. Not any of that Cascada stuff, or as my dad would call it Euro Trash. Anyways, Benassi is amazing, and the beat to this song is absurd in the best possible way. But I have heard it way too much, and like always, too much of a good thing quickly turns bad. I still love hearing it in the clubs though, and nothing beats hearing it in person at the hands of Benassi himself. 

Day 15...

Something I don't leave the house without, and a song I listened to today. 

I cannot leave my house without my bag. I keep my life in these babies, and would be lost and helpless without them. 

Prince - Kiss par cdipre

Prince - Kiss

For some reason every Sunday I get in a bit of a musical funk and only listen to one artist all day long depending on what my mood is. Who knows what my mood was today, but the artist I spent it listening too was Prince. You don't have to be rich to be my girl... But I'm a very expensive boy so Imma like you a lot more if you are. 

Day 14...

A tv show I am currently addicted to, and a song nobody would expect me to like. 

I first watched this show back in November and was instantly addicted. Luckily the new season started up a week after I finished all the previous seasons. 

Phil Collins - Against All Odds

I guess people wouldn't expect me to love this song, but thats just because I don't know what people expect my music tastes to be like. If anyone knows what movie this song was for, please let me know, because I really do not understand this music video for the life of me. 

Introducing...

I bought a new pet today. His name is Charles-Émile. Before I adopted him, he belonged to Hermès. They raised him and treated him very nicely, but one day they decided to discontinue his color, and they looked to get rid of him. I graciously took him in as my own, and with a little tender loving care, will make him into a beautiful jacket.

This is me and Charles-Émile. 

Front open.

Front closed.

Front partially closed.

Side.

Collar detail. 

Belt and hidden pocket detail. You can't see the pocket because it is hidden :)

Back. 

This is my half drape of what Charles-Émile will become. Since I can only cut him out once and only sew him once, with no mistakes, I need to make him out of muslin first to make sure everything is perfect.

Day 13...

My favorite musician and why, and a song that is my guilty pleasure. 

I could never say I have one single favorite musician. The closest thing I could do would be to break it down by genre and do it that way.

Pop: Lady Gaga

Country: Dolly Parton

Alt Rock: The Killers

Hip-Hop: Salt-n-Pepa

R&B: Destiny's Child

Latin: Alejandro Sanz

French: Serge Gainsbourg

Classical: Rachmaninov

 I can't even start to classify Electronic music. There are just too many genres and sub-genres to handle, plus so many people don't just stick to one type. Sure I could go on all day about my favorites in Detroit House, Deep House, Big Room House, Minimal House, Electro House,  or Italio House. And then I could do that for every genre of Electronic. But that wouldn't be fun for me to do, nor fun for your to read. So, here are some of my favorites in very general categories. 

Dubstep: Habstrakt

House: Kaskade

Acid: Paul Oakenfold 

Grime: Terror Danjah

Trance: Paul van Dyk

Techno: Marcel Dettmann

Electro: Deadmau5

Breakbeat: Krafty Kuts

Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers - Islands in the Stream 

Since I've now admitted to having a favorite country singer (in fact, she is the only country singer I like), I would have to say my guilty pleasure is Dolly Parton. How can you not love someone that has their own theme park?