Thread: The Art Institute of Austin's First Ever Fashion Magazine.

Thread: Fashion Capstone's magazine cover.

As promised, The Art Institute of Austin's first student magazine, Thread has been posted online. I am incredibly excited that I get to share this experience with y'all. The class was made up of eleven students, which is a funny twist because we only had eleven weeks to make the final copy.

I cannot tell you how much time was spent on the magazine. Countless hours between the graphic designer, editor-in-chief, and creative director were used to meticulously create a tangible product.

As the copy editor, I read and reread the magazine dozens of times. Not to mention the other editors, who put together their own pieces that concentrated on the city of Austin, including a seamless fashion editorial.

My story about moving to Texas for a boy (yes, really, a boy).

It's bittersweet to know that this will be the only edition, as it was for a class. If I were a less advanced student, I would push to make it a quarterly publication. As a senior, I only have six months left at The Art Institute. I have bigger things to focus on! But this was a nice stepping stone from the classroom to the real world. I am so happy at how it turned out, and cannot express how lucky I have been to work with all the individuals who helped create Thread.

You can view the online copy of Thread here. Let me know what parts you enjoyed (or didn't; everyone's a critic), and I'll be sure to pass along the info. And, as I CANNOT SAY IT ENOUGH, thank you for all the support. It means so much to me! Hope you have a lovely day.

Screenshot of my interview with Tolly Moseley, the Austin Eavesdropper.

Austin Street Style: Victoria.

On Tuesday at The Art Institute of Austin.

Okay, folks, since posting about how I moved to Texas for a boy and my interview with Austin Eavesdropper, Tolly Moseley, I've been thinking about the future of my blog. Yes, I am a fashion blogger, but from the response I've received for my autobiographical post, that's not just all that I am.

I've always written in my spare time, whether it be my journal or my tumblr (which has an effective use as an emotional outlet), but I never post outside of the fashion realm on Bella Vogue. As I gain more confidence in my non-fashion writing, I hope that my readers will join me on my journey of redefining my blog. Not that I'll ditch fashion together; I'll add more personable components and go from there.

Again, I cannot say thank you enough for all the great comments everyone has left recently. The Fashion Capstone class recently presented our magazine, and I cried four times. It was incredibly overwhelming.

I felt like I just gave birth to a baby. A glossy, 50-page baby that reads like a love letter to the city of Austin. This, this right here, is what I want to do with my life. I want to write and live in Austin. It's a peaceful feeling to have an idea of what I want to do after graduating.

My class has discussed making our project available online for family and friends to read, so if that happens, I'll be sure to link it. Thanks everyone for your feedback! And I hope you have a lovely day.

A Conversation With the Austin Eavesdropper: Part Deux!

Wow, I have gotten so much great feedback from Part I of my interview with Tolly Moseley, writer of Austin Eavesdropper. 'Tis greatly appreciated, as always. You may or may not know this, but in Fashion Capstone, my class created a magazine. I wrote a piece about my move from Montana to Texas, and had the opportunity to do an interview. I chose Tolly because not only is she a fun-lovin' gal, but she's an amazing lifestyle blogger. Basically, I just wanted to pick her brain. If you do not read Austin Eavesdropper, be sure to ASAP! It will make you laugh and cry and pee your pants, simultaneously.

As was promised, here is the remainder of my interview with Ms. Tolly:

As someone who does have another career, along with a husband and a psychotic kitty cat, how do you find the time to sponsor events such as the Austin Bleet-Up and P.S. a Paramount/Stateside Affair?
I don’t know! Haha. I’m honestly working on cutting down my commitments. I’m just a sucker for a good party.

You have had amazing opportunities, including interviewing musicians for SXSW with Express Rocks. How did these opportunities come about/was your blog a part of these opportunities?
Yes, my blog was indeed a part of these opportunities. Often, a friend-of-a-friend will know someone who’s looking for on-air or writing talent, and they’ll send them to my blog. This happened with both SXSW (a publicist friend at Giant Noise recommended me to Express when they were looking for a TV host) and SheKnows.com. A friend of mine at Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau recommended me to them when they asked about local Austin writers. So it was partly my blog that landed this stuff for me, but honestly just having some really amazing buddies out there!

Your blog is now a for-profit blog with both a healthy readership and sponsorship. What made you decided to become for-profit?
I think the first time a business (Birds Barbershop) approached me, asking if I’d be interested. I said: “yes of course” and bam, for-profit blog. It was never an explicit aspiration of mine, but hey, if I can support local / worthwhile businesses and they support me back – I call that a mutually beneficial partnership.

What’s the best and most frustrating aspect of blogging? How do you respond to negative feedback?
The only negative feedback I’ve gotten is when I’ve posted about something political (like when I wrote about universal healthcare a few months ago). But shockingly, that’s the only time anyone has ever written something negative to me. No one has written anything overtly nasty (knock on wood) or borne out of jealousy. The most frustrating aspect of blogging is feeling like I just don’t have enough time for it. I always feel like there is so! Much! More! I could be doing! But, all in due time. Someday, I’ll get a good camera for it. Someday, I’ll create a Facebook page for it. If I have to let it improve gradually, then that is ok by me.

Give us a slice of a “day in the life” of Ms. Tolly Moseley.
7:30 : WAKE UP / breakfast / make myself coffee (even though I promised day before I was giving up coffee)
8:30 – 10:30 : BLOG STUFF / post / respond to email or comments / Tweet / Facebook
10:30 – 5:30 : WORK (from home) on book publicity: Email, write press releases about books, make calls to media, assure authors, bitch/laugh with colleagues, take lunch break, try not to get on Twitter or Gawker too much, walk outside, notice sun, vow to take walk after work, write more emails, attempt to charm a TV producer into booking my author(s), hug husband when he walks inside, dodge accusations (all true) of leaving dirty dishes in sink, pet my kitty.
5:30 : JOIN FREE WORLD via happy hour, samba school (husband and I take each Weds), aerial silks class (I take every Tues/Thurs), dinner or porch time with friends

10:00 : Remark that I should go to bed, start a blog post

11:00 : Say, “ok ok really I should GO TO BED” then sneak in a little Top Chef or book tim

12:30 : Finally turn off light (or, sometimes, realize I have a freelance story due the next day, four-letter expletives follow).

Do you have any tips for those who are currently blogging and/or aspiring bloggers?

Figure out what you are in it for – writing, photography, vlogging, displaying your art, etc. And then focus on that thing and try to do it really well. The other aspects of blogging will follow suit. Also, keeping a balance of consuming / producing art. I am a better blogger (and writer) because I am an obsessive reader. If you are a photographer or artist, study those who inspire you; if you are a vlogger, watch camera personalities who delight you. I think 60% of being successful, creatively, is seeking out quality examples and role models.

How would you describe Austin to someone who is visiting the city for the first time? What sights would you tell them are a must-see?

I would say that visiting Austin will probably make you want to move here. No, really. It’s so pretty, people are so nice, it’s funky and offbeat and there are lots of trees. So just be prepared for that, I will tell them. Next, I will say that you have to eat at a food trailer – DUH – and recommend Anthony Bourdain’s favorite, Odd Duck on S. Lamar. I would also tell them to get a fancy cocktail at East Side Show Room, and that even though you’ll have to wait a while because it’s tiny and disorganized, it’s oh-so-worth it. The drinks and the gypsy jazz music are just incredibly. Finally, if the weather is nice, I would tell them to go stand-up paddling on Town Lake! I discovered that last summer and it’s a blast. As well as easy, even though it looks like a feat of balance and abdominal muscles. You can go home and tell people, “dude, I totally did that.”

And, lastly, how would you describe your personal style from day-to-day? Where do you like to shop in Austin?

A (gay) friend described me as a little Stevie Nicks, a little Audrey Hepburn. I think that’s about accurate. My style is somewhat polished, somewhat bohemian. I ADORE vintage, and for that, go to Blue Velvet (on North Loop), Buffalo Exchange, and sometimes the vintage stores on S. Congress. New Bohemia has great bags, Feathers has killer boots. When I’m buying new, I tend to stick to Strut. But I fantasize about Anthropologie. I make an annual trip to Urban Outfitters and get a few things – skinny jeans, lockets, orange heels. Thanks Chelsea!

Thank you, Tolly!

If you did not read Part I of our interview, you can access it here.

My class is presenting our magazine as a whole tomorrow, and hopefully I will get some great photos in. Might even load the entire magazine as a PDF on here...we'll see! Hope everyone has a happy Monday!

Thank you to Tolly for the photo.