According to Alyssa: art

Writing a Christmas Children's Book! | Go Fund Me

9:57 AM

Though my year has been one of the most exciting ones yet, I think this announcement may be the best of all! I am so very pleased to share with you that I am writing and self-publishing a children's book! HOORAY! I can't believe it is actually happening.

If you are new to my blog, then you should know that I write about beauty, fashion, music, and life for Maniac Magazine which is so much fun! I truly love every second of it. But, I've been wanting to do some more fictional creative writing to stir up the pot.

I am also a HUGE fan of Christmas. I have been watching the past few years of Zoe Sugg and Tanya Burr's vlogmas videos every day for the past month (I know it's early!) and listening to Christmas music in the shower. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAAAAYS! (Anybody know who sings that?!) My boyfriend is extremely annoyed with me, but whatever! It's the most wonderful time of the year, and it's only 5 months away!

So with my mind full of ideas and high on the thought of Christmas being so soon (lol), I texted my friend Katherine, who is an AMAZING artist (YES, SHE DID THE REINDEER PICTURED ABOVE. ISN'T HE GORGEOUS?!) and half-jokingly said "let's write a children's book". Her response was entirely serious and 100% for the idea. And that was it. We got to work right away and are now so pumped to be writing a children's Christmas book!

The story follows a retired reindeer far past his glory days who is searching for a way to continue to bring happiness to children! We've launched a Go Fund Me campaign in the attempt to raise some of the money that we need to publish this book in time for Thanksgiving! If you're interested in learning more, PLEASE don't hesitate to check out the campaign and make a donation! We've included some pretty awesome rewards for anyone who helps us out, so we think it's definitely worth it!

Also, if you can't afford to donate, don't worry! You can always just share the link to the campaign and help us spread the word!

Thank you all in advance!

xx

Alexa Chung

Autobiographical Addiction

3:09 PM

While I've been a big reader forever, I've always leaned more towards fiction works than anything remotely real. I'm a sucker for a good love story or a fantastic tale of magical adventure (*cough* Harry Potter *cough*). However, I've recently found myself picking up more and more autiobiographical works, whether they be essay collections, books of inspirations, or full on autobiographies, and I thought I'd share that newfound love here by gushing over a few of my current favorites!

The first book of this kind to really grab my attention and have a real "influence" (ha...wait for it...) on me was actually Influence by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. This book is a collection of interviews conducted by the twins themselves! It features many people who have inspired me in different ways (Diane von Furstenberg, Karl Lagerfeld, Bob Colacello, etc.) and is just put together so beautifully.

Book number two is one that I picked up after Christmas and breezed through in a day. Written by another one of my fashion icons, It by Alexa Chung is incredible. If you know anything about this lady, then you'll love this book. Every page oozes her wit and charm and describes all of the people/things that have helped her throughout her modeling/designing career. And again, stunning presentation.

When I first got hired at The Andy Warhol Museum, I was anxious to know more about the artist so that I could answer questions correctly whenever people asked. That, and my 20% store discount, led to my purchasing The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (From A to B and Back Again) by Andy Warhol. Filled with Warhol's thoughts and anecdotes on subjects such as love, fame, and...underwear power, this book is truly inspirational. I wish I had a mini version to carry with me in my bag!

And finally, my most recent read: Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham. As a huge fan of her show, Girls, I was majorly curious as to what else Lena Dunham had to offer and watching Tiny Furniture every night on Netflix didn't quite satisfy my need for more. I have to admit, after reading some of the more "offensive" excerpts that were being widely criticized online, I was a bit taken by surprise and hesitant at first, but I can assure you that everything was taken out of context and I truly believe that every twenty something should read this book. Lena Dunham is the voice of my/your/our generation.