Lighting up the dark in a wild winter mix

Links à la Mode: January 20 th -avec moi!

"I have confidence that spring will come again, Besides which you see I have confidence in me"

Edited by Florrie Clarke of Intrinsically Florrie
Within this week's links I kept noticing a resounding honestly in the heartfelt posts. When we blog or choose an outfit we are putting ourselves out there for all to judge, and it's not surprising that doing the activity can have an affect on our confidence for better or for worse, especially when feedback starts coming in.
There's also been a sense of rebellion in the air: from the emergence of the punk style to controversy over Vogue, and in the week that saw the spectacle which is the Golden Globes rises a questioning of what the red carpet is all about.

Links à la Mode: January 20th

• A la Modest Drawing inspiration from Kabukis, Rainbow Brite, Ladytron, and Padmé Amidala while on Tatooine
• Antares: Alfa Scorpii Fashion without mercy: do I have to choose between fashion and my beliefs?
• By Anika Who gets to label me and my worth? I do! An honest account from this curvy fashionista who fiercely supports all of our rights to label, embrace and love our fashionable selves, what ever our size.
• City of Glitter To Cover-up or Not To Cover-up? A post exploring foundation and its role in our self-esteem.
• Crimson Rosella Blogging: A Self-confidence booster?
• Depict This The challenge of wearing vintage clothing in the real world
• Elle Enchanted My take on what bloggers need to consider before accepting a sponsor.
• Fashezine Inspired by Jennine Jacob's post on how fashion blogs will evolve in 2011, I thought I'd try my hand at a video.
• Fashion Limbo Online Christmas Shopping, the Aftermath - on lost packages, refunds and independent retailers.
• Fuyume The demise of the kimono industry.
• Fish Monkey's Writing Stuff Why I don't think that red carpets have any relevance to fashion.
• Independent Fashion Bloggers: 5 Tips for Taking Better Photos of Yourself
• Intrinsically Florrie The fashion show that's made me impatient for summer.
• Karma-Style Blog Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj have 'FoF' - Fearlessness of Fashion. Do you?
• My Heart Blogged Falling head over flats. My flats collections, and why you don't see me wearing heels.
• Scarlet Letter Style Why is the fashion world so critical? I have an idea on how to fix it
• The Column of Samantha Tyler Of Punks and their influence on Fashion
• The Fashion Pawn The fourth part of The B.O.B Series discusses all "About You:" Tips for your About You Page.
• The-Loud Mouth Sometimes, garbage piles up: Fashion blogging isn't just a hobby. For some, it can be an emotional release.
• The Taxonomy Of My Wardrobe Three Strikes Vogue - You're Out! Three examples of how the fashion bible is inexcusably out of touch with readers and losing relevance in today's world
• The Simply Luxorious Life Why Not . . . Create Your Own Signature Style?

SPONSOR:
http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=2206743011: Bassike, Shakuhachi, Nissa, Minnetonkas, FreePeople, Tibi, AIKO, Bird, Myne, Black Halo, Kova&T, Hanii Y

Who gets to label me and my worth? I do!

Hi Sweethearts! Welcome to http://www.byanika.com/ for my latest post. <3 Anika

ByAnika / Dreaming big

Hi sweethearts!

This is my last post here on Sweet Faced Style.

I have taken the plunge and am moving one step closer to making the dream of making a business with my designs a reality. I have bought my own domain and am moving to wordpress.  This is yet another step in building confidence in my dream of making a business of selling my designs, creating pieces that all women can feel va va voom when wearing, knowing that each piece was made with love, was made ByAnika.

I am still finetuning the new site, and I will be redirecting feed etc to the new site soon but I would like to welcome you to By Anika (http://www.byanika.com/) from here. The next time I post it will be hello ByAnika, goodbye Sweet Faced Style. I hope you will find the new site a lovely place to hang out :)

Onwards and upwards my lovelies! <3

xxx Anika

Spreading the love: Rikke of Sticky Sweet Danish

Hi Sweethearts!

Last summer I started my Spreading the love-series where I feature lovely bloggers of all sizes. I started this series as a response to some of the drama going on in the blogosphere about what women are real and not. It was important to me to actively do something, to be clear on where I stand in my life, on and off line. I welcome all people in my life and in my blog. All I ask that we be respectful of each other.


I am a self worth activist, supportive of everyones right to define their own worth and use what ever labels on them selves they choose, be that fat, curvy or straight sized, homosexual, heterosexual or transgendered. It is not the label I am interested in, it is the person. I have chosen to ask everyone I feature the same questions, regardless of their amount of followers and size, something that has caused some controversy, but that is ok. I welcome dialouge, that is what expands our horizons, love and understanding of each other. To read my manifesto on self worth and more about the Spreading the love go to these pages: "Who gets to label my self worth? I do!" and "Spreading the love."

I have had the pleasure of featuring so many wonderful bloggeristas in this series, and I thank you all for taking part in making a postitive stand with me. To enjoy all the features go to the Spreading the love-page.


Today it is my pleasure to spread the love for the wonderful Rikke of Sticky Sweet Danish.
Be sure to surf on over and get to know this stylish Dane!


Could you share with us your thoughs on fashion vs fatshion?
I don't think that there should be a distinction between the two, to me fashion is universal. I understand why plus-sized women like to be in a category of their own though, because we have been surpressed for so long. Then again, fatshion can also be understood as kind of a negative label, if used by non plus-sized people. I'd rather be a fashionable girl, than "just" a fatshionable, if that meant that I only had great style for a fat girl. In the end, it's really all about a common love for clothes, shoes, bling and beauty though. And I think all women should unite in the quest to expand our wardrobes. LOL.

Enjoy more Sweet Faced Style

Spreading the love: Natasha of The Chic Curve

Hi Sweethearts!



Last summer I started my Spreading the love-series where I feature lovely bloggers of all sizes. I started this series as a response to some of the drama going on in the blogosphere about what women are real and not. It was important to me to actively do something, to be clear on where I stand in my life, on and off line. I welcome all people in my life and in my blog. All I ask that we be respectful of each other.

I am a self worth activist, supportive of everyones right to define their own worth and use what ever labels on them selves they choose, be that fat, curvy or straight sized, homosexual, heterosexual or transgendered. It is not the label I am interested in, it is the person. I have chosen to ask everyone I feature the same questions, something that has caused some controversy, but that is ok. I welcome dialouge, that is what expands our horizons, love and understanding of each other. To read my manifesto on self worth and more about the Spreading the love go to these pages: "Who gets to label my self worth? I do!" and "Spreading the love."

I have had the pleasure of featuring so many wonderful bloggeristas in this series, and I thank you all for taking part in making a postitive stand with me. To enjoy all the features go to the Spreading the love-page.



Now, onto the business of spreading the love for the beautiful and talented Natasha of The Chic Curve! Natasha started blogging recently, so be sure to show her some love!


Could you share with us your thoughts on fashion vs fatshion?


I think that fashion is for everyBODY and I firmly stand by the fact that everyBODY can look amazing and have their own unique style. The funny thing is, no matter what your body looks like, we all have our insecurities and issues, whether you are a size 0 or size 24. But it doesn't matter...fashion is about identity, about confidence and about wearable art. It isn't about your size (even though the media tries to make it). EveryBODY has the right to be a fashionista!

Enjoy more Sweet Faced Style

The joy of paying it forward / Doing hallelujah

Hi Sweethearts!

Would you like me to make you an original By Anika?

I would love to show my love for you in this way, so when I read about Carlas paying it forward-challenge I jumped on it. It is like my mum says,  "we shouldn`t just say halleluja!, we should DO hallelujah!"

Here is how it works:
"Pay it forward 2011.... I promise to make something handmade for the first five people who comment.

They must in turn post this and make something for the first five who comment on their status.
The rules are it has to be handmade by you, and they must receive it before 2011 ends."

If you'd like to take part,be one of the first five to comment and please leave your email address so I can contact you directly. Also, be sure to repost this to your own blog if you do comment in order to keep the love going forward! I do feel that it would be lovely to sew something for more than five of you, so when I have completed the first five I might try to include the next five of you lovelies. (Ok, it is five mins after I posted this and I don`t have the heart to only do something for five of you if more of you would like to take part, so I am including ten. I do have twelve months to complete the challenge ;D ).

This business of making something for our readers might seem daunting, but this isn`t so much about what we make for each other, but about the spirit of generousity. I can`t promise you dresses, but I can promise that I will make what you get with each of you in mind and with loving hands. Haaaallelujah! <3 <3 <3

This is another of the dresses I reworked last weekend, I love tribal print, so when I found this top on H&M I knew it would be perfect for my coat-turned-dress. Rust and petrolium are a lovely mix, no?
The bolero I cut from an H&M-dress. The feathers are from Indiska, the earrings a gift. Watch, Ice. Leopard booties, Nilson. Ring, H&M. The bracelet is some fabric from a dress. Funny face thanks to failed attempt at whisteling lol.

This whole business of paying it forward is such a beautiful and moving thing to me. Isn`t that what we do every time we extend kindness and interest and support for others, out of the goodness of our hearts? It is a lovely thing, and if you look around you will see it everywere, in the small and the big moments of life.

 Tell me, how do you pay it forward in your own lives?



xxx Anika

Lovlies paying it forward:

1. Natasha of http://www.chiccurve.blogspot.com/

2. Amanda of http://www.necessaryimperfections.blogspot.com/ 

3. Brooke of http://www.prettypennymae.blogspot.com/

4. Miria of http://www.pluskawaii.blogspot.com/

5.Bibi of http://www.thatfat-shionistaswardrobe.com/

6. Christina of Randomness, a la mode
7. Meg of http://www.on-a-hunt.blogspot.com/
8. Katrin of http://reizende-rundungen.blogspot.com/
9. Sarah of Return to Sender
10. Lindsey of http://lindseysoup.blogspot.com/

If you would like to pay it forward go to these lovely ladies and sign up, or start your own chain of love :)

Striking a pose for my not so secret Santa

 Hi Sweethearts!

Did you know that Santa is a georgous bloggerista living in Dubai? The fab Val of http://www.blogtobealive.com/ created the Secret Santa-happening, where bloggers sent gifts to each other, like secret friends. Lovely!
LuAnne of http://www.weeshasworld.com/  was my not so secret Santa this year, (we agreed to be each others Santa on facebook, that is modern christmas for you lol), so I want to thank her so much for her sweet sweet gift that I received all the way from the other side of the earth! 

As I was opening the package I was imagining Lu wrapping it, I was so exited to open it and also hoping very much that she would like what I crafted for her. LuAnne was one of the first curvy bloggers that I found when I started blogging nearly a year ago, and she blew me away with her beautiful looks, fierce outfits and strong positive outlook. She still blows me away.

Anyways, inside the package I found such a lovely jewlery box with jewlery in it, including the pretty purple neckless I put on the day I wore this outfit. Thank you so much LuAnne!

As I was having my pics taken many of my neighbours walked by, leaving me one very flushed and silly-feeling blogger. As public as this forum is, having my pic taken with an audience still is the challenge, posting it is fine, because I trust you all, my lovely readers. Today, you will therefore get to see me with my chin doubled with laughter. Enjoy!

The outfit:

I sewed this dress last weekend, the bottom and waistband both come from scarves. I gave the ruffled vest (H&M) some more definition by adding a little belt. The feathers in my hair are H&M, as is the ring and nailpolish ( a lovely Chanel-knock off lol). Shoes, Nilson. Watch, ICE. Purple bracelet, Noa Noa.

Thank you all so much for your love! You have all become a big part of my life, and when

I count my blessings, I count all of you.

<3

xxx Anika 

Purple delights / Redefining my own beauty

Hi Sweethearts!

I want to wish you all, each and every one, a very happy new year!

May this be the year you go for your dreams and make even more of every moment. 

As you know, my friends, I have worked long and hard to be my own best friend, to love and respect my self, not only support and encourage others, but my self as well. This process has been very much reflected in my fashion choices and in my confidence to throw caution and rules of dressing to the wind, leaving me with bonkers designs and wild combos, loving every one of my outfits and every moment in them.

One of the areas I haven`t dare to touch is my hair. I grew up receiving lots of compliments for my hair. Some of them were genuinely nice ones, others were harder to accept, like the times I was told that
"Well, at least you have good hair, or a handsome face, or good personality" (all true, I now know HAHA) but, they left me with the impression that faced with a fat girl like me, it was a relief for the other person to console us both that I may be fat, but at least I had beautiful locks. What ever the intention of the compliments, for most of my life I was so low on self worth that I deduced that the only thing about me that was worthy and lovely was my hair. The first time I dyed my hair and it came out all black I had an anxeity attack. I knew then that I still had some work to do on redefining my self worth and idea about my own beauty.

A few days ago when I was trimming my split ends with a pair of kitchen scissors (very bad of me I know LOL) I got to thinking about this, and as I started cutting my hair I realized that it was only hair and that I would still be me, I would still be ok if I cut it, nevermind that I am fat, nevermind that it might not come out ok, nevermind all that. So I set off chopping, my self worth intact, simply playing around with my look.

It might seem like a small thing, but for me it was a massive event. I am free of yet another preconceived notion about my self. Now I can look forward to my hair growing back and to enjoying my locks even more.

Can you relate lovlies? 

I sewed a couple of dresses yesterday, this is one of them. How is this for loud?! It feels delightful on :D

I found the material in my mothers basement, and mixed it today with my fave leopard dress from H&M. The lovely earrings were a gift from a much loved friend. Shoes, Nilson. Ring and clips, H&M. Watch, Nilson.

Love, Anika