Enough is Enough

Last night my friend Amber and I went to a benefit event for Keeping the Promise sponsored by Enough is Enough Media which is an organization that creates media content and conducts research committed to understanding and finding the root causes and effects of under-regulated firearms in society. The mission of the Sandy Hook Promise is to help the community heal and to be advocates for change by bringing together a great majority of Americans who agree that we must find and implement common sense solutions to address the causes of gun violence.  One of the main issues of concern is the gun show loophole. Federal law allows people who sell guns to avoid running background checks or keeping records by calling themselves occasional sellers, and these sellers often congregate at gun shows. The loophole provides criminals and mentally unstable people with easy access to firearms without having to worry about any background checks. Here are some online resources.

www.americansforresponsiblesolutions.org/

www.nomorenames.org/

www.sandyhookpromise.org/

www.enoughisenoughmedia.com/

www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/

It was a very touching and eye opening evening. There is a need for urgent action because the consequence of doing nothing is more senseless loss of life.

xoxo,
Munkeh

Tank- Q
Shorts- Forever 21
Shoes- Forever 21
Sunglasses- 99cent store
Necklace- Ebay

My best "Audrey Hepburn" impression. haha

Childhood Toys

The pattern on this fabric reminded me of the spirograph toy I had when I was a kid.  I used to draw hundreds of designs with it and what I loved most was that no two drawings were ever exactly the same. Another one of my favorite toys were my fashion plates. I remember begging my mom for those and she finally bought me a set that she found at a yard sale. I practically wore the plates down because I drew endless outfits and patterns. Both of those toys would keep me entertained for hours.  It's no surprise that I ended up becoming a designer, but believe it or not, fashion was not my first career choice. I wanted to be a dancer instead, haha. But fate stepped in and here we are.

Creativity is contagious, pass it on....
-Albert Einstein

xoxo,
Munkeh

Dress- by me
Shoes- Forever 21
Jaguar Necklace- Ebay

My first introduction to fashion design!

My creativity was first unleashed with this!

Unleash Your Inner Tiger

I took a Tai Chi class for the first time today and I absolutely loved it! I felt like a brand new person, rejuvenated and I was in a very happy place the whole day today.  I learned various techniques on how to focus and channel my energy in a very positive way. I will definitely be going to more classes. Doing Tai Chi also inspired me to find that passion and creativity within myself and rekindle that fire for life because sometimes I feel stuck and unmotivated.  I feel alive again!

Unleash your inner tiger.....grrrrrr!

xoxo,
Munkeh

Unleashing my inner tiger!
I felt very sassy today in this outfit.
Feather Blazer- Elizabeth and James
Tiger Tank- Zara
Origami Skort- Zara
Spiked Sandals- Forever 21
Necklace- Forever 21
Sunglasses- 99 cent store

Turtle Power!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles rock! So how excited was I to find this t shirt?!? Chris told me that in England they changed the title to "Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles" because they felt that ninja was too violent of a word.  They also took the nunchucks away from Donatello because nunchucks are actually illegal in England.

Heroes in a half shell...Turtle Power!

xoxo,
Munkeh

T shirt- Forever 21
Skirt- Forever 21
Blazer- Forever 21
Shoes- Jeffrey Campbell

My very own Mutant turtle....Gabbana!
I used to have 2 turtles, Dolce & Gabbana but they got in a fight and Gabbana won, if you catch my drift.
Don't let his sweet exterior fool you.

The British opening credits of Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles

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Dangerous Carnivores

I ate my body weight in meat tonight. We went out for Korean BBQ for my friend's birthday. It's all you can eat. You ring a bell and then someone brings you plates of meat until you are literally bursting. I ate so much I feel sick and almost a little ashamed of myself. haha. Since I knew I was going to eat until I burst, I wore a very loose top and pants with an elastic waistband. Such a contrast to the day before when I wore a snow leopard print fit and flare dress that I made, which sadly I probably can't fit into at the moment.  My birthday is in 3 1/2 weeks and I'm having a jungle themed pool party/BBQ.  I've been trying to get into bikini shape in honor of the occasion. I'm currently working on bikinis for myself and my good friend. Keeping the theme in mind, my bikini is going to leopard rhinestones and hers is zebra rhinestones. I've been eating healthy and exercising but tonight I fell far off the wagon. Oh well, one night of gluttony and indulgence won't hurt, right?

Too much of a good thing can be wonderful!

xoxo,
Munkeh

My top was nice and loose:)
Jacket, Top, Pants and Shoes- Forever 21
Necklace- Zara

Before I ate my body weight in meat...
Snow Leopard Print dress- by me
Shoes- Prabal Gurung for Target
Necklace- H&M

Caught Red Handed

Chris' first novel, The Sketcher's Mark is now available on Amazon! It's an edge of your seat horror suspense thriller.

A serial killer posing as a sketch artist preys on young women travelling alone in the tourist areas of Paris. His latest victim is the sister of driven LAPD Detective Lara McBride, a woman who hunts predators like him for a living. When she touches down in Paris to find her missing sister, an escalating game of cat and mouse leads her and the killer from the rain swept streets of Paris to the isolated countryside, where the key to the killer's Masterpiece awaits them...

Does the killer get caught red handed? You'll just have to buy a copy to find out. ;) There's also a part of the book for us fashionistas....part of it takes place during Paris Fashion week. Support indie artists! Click here to get your copy now! Thank you for your support!

xoxo,
Munkeh

available here!

Caught red handed......
Support indie artists!
We are the future icons of our industries! :)
Floral Sequin Skirt- Haute Hippie
T-shirt- H & M
Jacket- Ebay
Shoes- Asos
Necklace- Ebay

Birds of Paradise

I fell in love with this fabric and decided to make a really pretty flowy summer dress. The print and the bright colors make me think of a tropical paradise.  I started daydreaming about where Chris and I should go on our next vacation.  I would love to go to Bali to see the Monkey Forest.  It's literally a forest of Monkeys and the number one rule is to never go into the Monkey Forest without monkey food. Sounds like the rules of my house, haha.

Have a great weekend everyone!

xoxo,

Munkeh

Dress- by me
Shoes- Zara
Necklace- Forever 21
Clutch- Forever 21
Belt- H & M

African Queen

My husband was telling me about the classic film African Queen which I'm ashamed to say I haven't seen yet because it sounds like an absolutely fabulous movie.  But I definitely want to see it now because I was really inspired by the overall themes mainly being willing to sacrifice yourself for a greater cause or love and working together for that cause. It shows me that in those tough situations where there seems to be no hope and where things just won't seem to work out, that if you stay true to your beliefs and your heart, the greater good will win in the end.  I think about that everyday and that's what keeps me going.  At the end of the day, I hope to have made a difference.

It just takes one person to make a difference. If everyone tried to be that person, imagine what the world would be like.

xoxo,
Munkeh

I feel like an african queen when I wear this dress.
People either really love this dress or really hate it because of the print.
I'm not intimidated by bold prints :)
Dress- by me
Shoes- Forever 21
Jaguar Necklace- Ebay

This was one of my designs used for an editorial.
Photo taken by Sasha Knopf
"It Just Takes One"

Are Those Real?!?

I used to think that spending $100 on a pair of shoes was a bit much but because I work in the fashion industry in Beverly Hills, I've seen women drop $4000 on one pair of shoes. Now, $100 is chump change haha.  But it's crazy the lengths that some women will go just for a pair of shoes.  My friend tells me all the time that she would sell me for her dream pair of Alaia booties.  Whenever we have sales, especially on Black Friday or the day after Christmas, women line up around the block starting at 6:00 am, the store opens at 8:00am btw, some of them have even camped out the night before. I've seen grown women get into fights. Two years ago, one woman was arrested for hitting another one over the head with a Louboutin stiletto, and the one that got hit was rushed to the ER for stitches and a possible concussion. I watched several women hoard as many shoes as they can and then try to sell them to other women for double the price while they were still in the store.  Don't get me wrong. I love shoes and clothes. But I still can't wrap my head around spending my rent on them and that's with my discount applied on the sale price. That's why I was thrilled when I found these Valentino Rock Stud look-a-likes on Shoedazzle. They were $40. Each time I've worn them, I've received death stares from the jealous ones who think I just dropped $995 on the real things or admiration from the ones who also think they are the real things. I also have a skirt has a very similar print to Dolce and Gabbana's current spring/summer collection and I've received the same kinds of reactions.  It's all about status isn't it. Some people just get so wrapped up in the label that they lose all sense of logic.  I'm proud of my bargain shopping skills. Hey, I rock sunglasses from the 99cent store and I love those things. I've said this before,  it's not the clothes that make you look great, it's your confidence.

Be proud of what you have and who you are! 

xoxo,

Munkeh

I'm having way too much fun with the new photo technique I learned!
Overalls- Zara
Blouse- by me
Necklace- Forever 21
Shoes- Shoedazzle

Dress and Jacket- Forever 21
Necklace- Charming Charlie
Shoes- Shoedazzle

These are the beautiful Valentino shoes that inspired my shoes.
These are $900, mine were $40

Outfit inspired by Sophia Loren. I feel like I should be in the Italian Riviera.
Blouse- Forever 21
Dolce and Gabbana look-a-like Skirt- Debenhams
Shoes- Asos

The real Dolce and Gabbana skirt.
This one is $1675, mine was $50

Stop And Smell The Roses...

Time is really flying lately.  I can't believe it's mid-June already. I feel like the year just started. In the hustle and bustle of daily life and in constantly trying to "get somewhere" I often forget to just take a few minutes to appreciate life in the present instead of looking too far ahead in the future.  I read this in an article from my high school newspaper and the words have stuck with me over the years.  "The best times and the best people just come.  While you're anxiously searching you'll never find them."

Tomorrow will be today soon enough and right now especially, it comes way too quickly, so just take a minute to stop and smell the roses.....

xoxo,
Munkeh

I learned how to do this cool photo effect on my phone today. I got really excited.
It's the little things in life that make me happy :)
Dress- River Island
Blazer- Forever 21
Shoes- Oasis
Necklace- Forever 21

I literally stopped and smelled the roses today...
I know, I'm a big cheese ball.

The Big Reveal

I saw an outfit on one of the blogs I follow and fell in love with it.  I already have a jacket that is similar and but the skirt was sold out so I decided to make my own version of it which is now available here: http://www.ustrendy.com/store/product/93334/chevron-split-front-skirt. It's times like this that I'm really happy that I can sew.  I heard someone say this and thought it applied..."I think the turning point was when I really realized that you can do it yourself. That you have to believe in yourself because sometimes the only person that does believe in your success is you."

Do it yourself, no one else will do it for you.

xoxo,
Munkeh

Faux Leather Jacket- Ebay
Tank- Elizabeth and James
Skirt- me :) buy it now! (here)
Shoes- Asos
Necklace- Charming Charlie
You can see the inspiration for this outfit here: vivaluxury

The Belles of the Ball

Tonight was the 21st annual Fireman's Ball in Beverly Hills.  Saks bought a table to show our support.  This prestigious event is an annual tradition as distinguished guests, residents, and VIP's gather to honor the Beverly Hills fire department.  It is also a celebration of the brave and committed individuals who not only protect our community during fire and medical emergencies, but who live work and donate the time to community activities and organizations. My friend Amber and I wore Rochelle Carino original dresses.  Good food, good times, good company and a good cause.

Thank you to our local heroes! We appreciate you!

xoxo,
Munkeh

The event was at the Beverly Hilton.

It takes two to tango.
Both dresses are by yours truly :)

Cheers!

Co-workers letting loose.

Delicious dinner

Fabulous desserts

Brad Garrett from Everybody Loves Raymond was the emcee

The Jungle Book

One of the stylists I work with told me that she loves coming to our office to see what I'm wearing because every outfit I put together tells a story.  Today it was the Jungle Book.  It was kinda perfect she said that because I had the song Bear Necessities stuck in my head all day.  I love disney music. It makes me happy.

Look for the bare necessities, the simple bare necessities, forget about your worries and your strife.....

xoxo,
Munkeh

Blazer- Forever 21
Tank- Elizabeth and James
Jeans- Forever21
Shoes- Asos
Necklace- Zara

Snake Charmer

I have been lusting after these shoes for a month and they were sold out in my size. I checked everyday and finally they came back in stock! I love them! They remind me of the Gucci cage sandals which are just a tad out of my budget.  2013 just happens to be the year of the snake.  It's supposed to be a good year for business and finances as long we are cautious with our decisions and not impulsive.

Blessings for a happy prosperous year!

xoxo,
Munkeh

Dress- Forever 21
Faux Leather Jacket- Forever 21
Feather Fringe Necklace- Forever 21
Adalyn Snakeskin Sandals- Shoedazzle

Shoedazzle
People asked me if these were the Gucci shoes

These are the Gucci shoes.
They are beautiful but I actually prefer the snakeskin.

Jailbird Is Now Freebird

Hello all! I just got back from a quick whirlwind trip to Vegas.  We were only there for 4 days but it felt like we were gone for 2 weeks. It was nice to see my mom and dad and just relax and let loose at the pool. It was so hot I lived in my bikinis, shorts and tank tops.  I feel refreshed and rejuvenated and ready to get some shit done now. It's a nice feeling since I was feeling a little burnt out and uninspired. We were at PF Chang's for lunch today and my fortune cookie said "Keep your eyes on your long term goal. Don't hesitate to act now"

Wise wise fortune cookie.

xoxo,
Munkeh

"Jailbird"
I was behaving like a victim to my circumstances and needed a mini break to snap out of it.
Blouse and Pants- Forever21
Shoes- Jeffrey Campbell
Necklace- Ebay

Chris and Nick
BFFs

mwmwmwm

Healthy ice cream from the ice pan.
Dress- Urban Outfitters

We finally got to stop at the alien jerky store!
Chris ran into some trouble.

My new foreign friends
Tank and Skort- Zara

Sarah and I 

This really was SPICY!

Aliens really are more technologically advanced!