How to Juggle and Survive a Busy Life.

Borrowed From:http://vi.sualize.us/view/582e6b22e6572fb70e3b9ec187afb64d/

Last year was a huge year for me; I got married, had my first child, and De*Nada really took off!  I never expected for my life to be this crazy, juggling so many tasks at once.  I have a lot on my plate with four full time jobs between being a business women, designer, wife, and most of all a first time mom.  With all these responsibilities, I needed a way to manage my time between my life at home and my career.  Luckily I work out of my home studio, which is convenient with a 4 month old child. However, it can sometimes be very hard to concentrate on work when caring for him.  With managing so many things in a day, I found a way to keep a balance between work and my family.  Here are just a few tips on how I am able to stay organized and survive this hectic life.

1. Keep a Schedule - Because I work and live out of my loft, it is important for my husband, Kelly, and I to keep our work time separate from our family time. In order for me to get any work done at home it is pertinent to make a schedule between the two of us for the baby and our dogs.  Since we both work out of our place, we take turns taking care of baby Atticus and our dogs, Kobi and Mia, throughout the day by assigning shifts in four hour increments. It sounds silly, but it works. The first shift begins at 7am and the last one ends at 8pm.  By assigning who does what and when allows us to be able to focus on our work and gets things done, spend time with our baby without stressing on work, and take care of our dogs. Sunday, of course is family day when we plan something fun to do as a family.

2. Use Technology - For years I stayed organized the old fashion way with pen and paper.  With technology these days, I became accustomed to using various apps (and I love that there is an app for almost everything) that makes getting through my busy schedule a bit easier.  I am always on the go, so the iPad has become my best friend.  It has so many great apps that make managing multiple task a breeze.  A few of my favorite apps include Nike Training Club (which help me to stay in shape with easy to follow instructional exercise videos I can do at home), Hootsuite (great for helping me keep up with social networks by combining Facebook and Twitter), the Reminder App (to alarm me with a friendly reminder whenever I need it), Facetime (great for keeping in touch with my family on my travels), and Translator (which comes in handy when writing business related e-mails to Peru).

3. Do Not Procrastinate - Procrastination will be your worst enemy. A baby doesn't leave much time for procrastination, therefore, everything must be done once I have the chance to.

4. Have a Great Support System - I am lucky to have family always there whenever I need it. Being a working mom is not easy and requires all the help I can get.  Besides the wonderful support I get from Kelly, with the baby and my business, I love having my family close by.  Whenever I am on a business trip or conducting a De*Nada photo shoot, my family is always there to watch over Atticus (even though I hate being away from him).


Always,

Virginia Arrisueno - Owner & Designer

Press Kit Designs We Find Inspiring!

Hi everyone!

As you've read from our previous posts, we've been working long and hard on De*Nada's A/W2012 lookbook  and at last it's complete! Our lookbook shoot was a success and now its time for the next stage. Following the completion of our lookbook, we are now in the process of putting together our press kit to send to all of our potential retailers and press contacts to take a peek into our new collection.

What is a Press Kit? For those who do not know, a press kit, also referred to as a media kit, is basically a kit that holds all the information a potential client may need to know about our company, such as our bio, current press release, and images of our new collection.  A press kit tells a lot about the company, from the packaging to the content. Since clients will look at this as their first impression of us, it is very important to make it a great and lasting one.

We are currently in the process of designing/creating our press kit, and we love to share some of our inspirations that we found online. And so, here are a few unique packaging designs we think are really awesome and find inspiring!

Borrowed From: http://www.wecollectgames.com/playstation3/heavy-rain-press-kit.videogame.collectors.edition.limited

Borrowed From: http://www.underconsideration.com/fpo/archives/2010/03/-not-finished-kraken-press-kit.php

Borrowed From: http://www.allgraphicdesign.com/graphicsblog/2008/11/19/best-of-brochure-design-unique-creative-brochures-for-designer-inspiration-part-2/

Borrowed From: http://weandthecolor.com/post/4954332293/maya-negri-press-kit-designed-by-koniak-design

Borrowed From: http://pinterest.com/pin/99008891777450240/

Borrowed From: http://www.vdhbooks.com/en_vatican_ce.htm

Always,

Behind the Scenes at De*Nada's AW2012 Lookbook Shoot!

This past weekend we had our long awaited lookbook photo shoot for De*Nada's upcoming a/w2012 collection! As you can see from our behind the scenes photos, the theme of this lookbook has a very dark and grave victorian setting, almost a bit vampire-ish.

As my home loft studio was transformed into the photo shoot set, we started the morning off with somber piano and violin instrumentals to set the mood.  Despite the gloomy theme, my team maintained high energy throughout the day. As we were all hard at work, my dogs Mia and Kobi kept us in great spirits as they lounged around the studio space. The photos were shot in various areas of my work/live loft building which features white brick walls, velvet brown curtains, a freight elevator, and our wooded stairwell. Danielle, our female model, wore an amazing dark purple handmade tool skirt, created by our stylist Carla of TPWP Guide.  In all, the shoot ran smoothly and was a great success!

I am so grateful for having the pleasure of working with such a stellar team.  I would like to give a huge thank you to our photographer and stylist (Marshall and Carla of TPWP Guide), makeup/hairstylist (Akemi Kanazaki), models (Danielle and Christopher), intern (Sue), and my wonderful husband (Kelly).

Check out De*Nada's Instagram or Twitter for more behind the scenes photos.
Stay tuned for the debut of De*Nada's a/w2012 collection coming soon!

Thanks for the support!

Virginia Arrisueno - Owner & Designer

Announcing De*Nada's March Giveaway - Enter Today!

Today, we are excited to announce De*Nada's first giveaway of this year!  One lucky winner will receive a four piece gift set from De*Nada's most recent collection worth $200. It includes: De*Nada's Fingerless Gloves (Black), Hooded Scarf Fringe (Olive), Slouch Beanie (Grey), and Cowl Cable Knit (Black).

Enter today March 12th, 2012 through March 29th, 2012. The winner of this giveaway will be picked at random and will be announced on Friday March 30th. Be sure to stay tuned to De*Nada's Facebook, Twitter, or Blog for the winner announcement!

Here's How to Enter:

1. If you're not already a fan, become a fan of De*Nada on our Facebook Page.  Take a picture of yourself wearing your favorite De*Nada piece, post it on our Facebook Wall, and write a small caption about why you love it!

2. Don't own anything from De*Nada? Not to worry! Simply visit our shop, post a picture of your favorite product on our wall, and tell us why you love it!

Already a fan on De*Nada Facebook? No problem! Just follow the steps above. 

WANT TO DOUBLE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING?

1. Follow De*Nada on Twitter! Mention @denadadesign in a tweet that you entered our giveaway and add the link to our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/denadadesign

Already following us on Twitter? No worries! Simply mention @denadadesign in a tweet that you entered our giveaway and add the link to our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/denadadesign

By entering via BOTH, Facebook and Twitter, you can DOUBLE your chances of winning!

Good luck to you all and stay tuned on Friday, March 30th to find out if you're the lucky winner!

Lookbook Inspiration Week: Sofia Sanchez + Tar Magazine.

Hey Everyone!

As you know, this week's blog posts are geared towards our preparation for De*Nada's A/W2012 collection lookbook shoot.  Well... it's finally happening this weekend! Our inspirations have included editorials, photographers, and photos we love.  In my search for inspirations, I came across an editorial in Tar Magazine by photographer Sofia Sanchez.  Sanchez's photos tends to use bright backgrounds, but maintain a mysterious feel to her photos. This particular editorial features an amazing Dutch model named Anna de Rijk.  I love how Rijk's eyes create a bit of mystique, which makes each of these photos so compelling.  We hope you love this editorial as much as we do!

Borrowed From: http://www.fashion4addicts.com/2012/01/venetian-goddess-tar-magazine-6.html

Borrowed From: http://www.fashionising.com/pictures/p--Anna-de-Rijk-Tar-Magazine-Issue-6-NSFW-13117-1832386.htmlhttp://www.fashionising.com/pictures/p--Anna-de-Rijk-Tar-Magazine-Issue-6-NSFW-13117-1832386.html

With all this preparation, we are definitely ready to take on this lookbook shoot! Wish us luck and stay tuned next week for a behind the scenes look at our photo shoot!

Always,

Sue (Intern)

Lookbook Inspiration Week: Swedish Photographer, Dysell.

Borrowed From: http://www.dezeen.com/2010/02/01/clothes-by-lamija-suljevic/

Good Morning!

As mentioned before we are preparing for our lookbook photoshoot for De*Nada's AW 2012  Collection. We are working hard to come up with ideas, therefore we are still on the search for inspiration. Here is a great designer and photographer I just found that I would love to share with you. 

Today's inspiration comes from photographer, Emma Jonnson Dysell.  The lookbook featured is the aw/10 collection from designer Lamija Suljevic's.  Both designer and photographer are from Stockholm, Sweden. Suljevic's designs are absolutely enchanting to me.  Her collection unfolds an elegant and romantic Parisian vision which she describes as "touching the delicate border between beauty and brutality. " Her designs are a bit playful with a mix of avant-garde details and inspired handworks.  The designs feature braiding,  heavy knits,  embroidery, pleats, and lace, with each piece being hand made.

Dysell's photography style seems to be elegant and simple with much emphasis on the shapes of the clothing, hair, and body.  I really like the lighting in these photos, which highlight the textures and shapes of each outfit and create a sharp shadow in the background.  The spotlights draws attention to the elaborate hand work that Syljevic features. The colors are slightly muted to add to the dark mood of the photographs.  

I find the simplicity of Dysell's photographs to be inspiring.  Minimal backgrounds help to emphasize shapes and designs. With the appropriate lighting, I like how she creates the shadow to add to the balance or color which add to the background. 

Always,

Lookbook Inspiration Week: Photos We Love!

Hey everyone!

De*Nada AW2012 lookbook shoot is finally happening this weekend and with all this preparation, we can't wait! As you've read from our previous posts, we've been preparing for our lookbook shoot by looking for photos, editorials, and photographers we find inspiring. We are still brainstorming ideas for our lookbook, so to keep our creative juices flowing, this week's posts will be dedicated to lookbook inspirations.

Below are a few inspiring photos we selected.  We love the dark color pallets, the calm feeling, and minimal background of these photos.

Borrowed from: http://vi.sualize.us/view/23e7680c858ca28007f21f249f787029/

Borrowed From: http://vi.sualize.us/view/01b1165bbc8b24d695e17651896ef8c7/

Borrowed From: http://vi.sualize.us/view/8f9ef623d0db31e473c7136a06817bf2/

Borrowed From: http://vi.sualize.us/view/d69479eed88eea46201232e9b56e553d/

Borrowed From: http://vi.sualize.us/view/9531fde8a574d669e55724ec9fdae0f7/

Always,

Here's a New Playlist from our Intern, Sue!

Hello everyone!

Once again it's Friday! It's Sue - De*Nada's intern, and here is another of my Friday playlist! Friday playlists are my favorite post of the week because I love music and I love sharing what I've been listening to.

I love listening to cover songs sung and/or sampled by contemporary musicians of today, as well as finding the original version of that song.  Listening to original tracks contribute to the expansion of my taste in music by introducing me to the original artist that I would have never heard of otherwise. It's also fascinating to hear where the inspiration of that cover song or melody came from.  How the musician transforms a cover song and makes it their own is inspirational!  With that being said, this week's playlist comes from some of my favorite originals from popular songs of today.  Do you recognize any of these songs?

ENJOY!







Until next time,  Sue (intern)