Probably my biggest worry in going off on my owen almost three years ago to start Tiramisu For Breakfast Agency was that I would get stale and quit learning. I was so used to being around super smart people at companies like The Martin Agency, and I thought that if I went on my own, I wouldn’t be taken seriously and I wouldn’t get to be around smart, fun people and I’d be stuck working on small accounts doing “small” work.

Boy, was I wrong. In my time on my own, I’ve learned so much more than I ever could have working for someone else. Working for myself has allowed me the freedom to find creative expression and learn design, painting, photography. I’ve learned gold-foil printing and even edible printing. I’ve learned how to.

One of the things that makes this possible is clients like Tiffany Jana. The trust they put in me has been truly instrumental in allowing me to grow not only as a business and a creativem but as a person.

Rashawd Hawkins and Jenny MxQueen were the “real” photographers

One of our values here at TFB is “unending self-improvement.”

Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts Announces “Shimmer,” the Annual Fashion Show

Honored guests include Manhattan-based designers Abdul Abasi and Greg Rosborough of Abasi Rosborough, and fashion illustrator Richard Haines

TFB will be on the Jury!!

Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts (VCUarts) Department of Fashion Design and Merchandising presents “Shimmer,” the annual fashion show. The event will be held on Wednesday, May 8, at 7:30 p.m. at the Train Shed, Main Street Station, 1500 E. Main St., Richmond, Virginia.

This year marks the 90th anniversary of VCUarts’ founding, and the 50th anniversary of the school’s fashion show. Honored guests for the evening’s event are Manhattan-based designers Abdul Abasi and Greg Rosborough of Abasi Rosborough, and fashion illustrator Richard Haines.

“We are in a celebratory mood this year, as Richard Haines returns to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the School of the Arts as well as the 50th year of the VCUarts Fashion Show in Richmond,” said Patricia Brown, chair of the VCUarts Department of Fashion Design and Merchandising. “We are also excited to welcome Abasi and Rosborough, as they share their vision for reimagining tailoring for the 21st century.”

This annual juried event presents the finished work of fashion design students, as well as the strategic production talents of fashion merchandising students. “Shimmer” will feature women’s sportswear, dresses, menswear, denim, embellishment/luxury and surface design, all created by hand or with the assistance of industry-standard machinery. Clothing modeled on the runway includes junior and senior class designs, as well as designs from VCUarts Qatar, the school’s campus in Doha, Qatar.

“Shimmer” is organized by nine junior and senior merchandising students enrolled in the fashion department’s Advanced Show Production class, in collaboration with design students, fashion faculty and sponsors. Students produce all aspects of the show, from model selection and training to lighting, music selection and backstage operations.

Tickets are $100 for front-row seating; $75 for second-row seating; and $60 for third-row seating. Discounts are available for fashion students and their families. The show will also be live-streamed at arts.vcu.edu/fashion/livestream.

I saw this round wall mirror hanging from a beaded “necklace,” and loved it, but was not willing to pay $399. After a bit of trial-and-error, I figured out a way to make it.

GAVIN MIRROR WITH BIRCH BEEDS BY GO HOME | BLUE SKY ENVIRONMENTS INTERIOR DECOR | $399

I’m super happy with how it turned out. Here are links and instructions to how I did it.

I bought this mirror from Lowes for $29.99. I love that the website tells you what aisle and bay they keep the product in. I was in and out of the store in about five minutes.

I initially thought hot glue would be the best because it dries so fast and would stick the beads in place – but it wasn’t quite strong enough. What ended up working was a combination of Gorilla Glue and hot glue. The Gorilla Glue doesn’t dry as fast and the beads were rolling around, so I found that a dab of each kind of glue worked perfectly. The necklace part of the mirror is an illusion, and the mirror is handing by brackets attached at the middle. There is a nail in the wall above the mirror to hang it, but that’s not what is supporting it.

I ordered a 50-pack of 40mm wooden beads from Etsy. This was the perfect size. I strung them on clear fishing line and then glued them to the mirror and painted them after it was hanging. If I was doing it over, I would have spray painted them first. But, this worked OK. It looks a little bit rustic, because the paint job isn’t perfect. I also think it would looik really pretty with a high-gloss enamel spray paint – maybe even in a periwinkle or light pink.

If you try this project out, please let me know and send pictures. I’d love to see them!

If you’re not trying to go the DIY route, here are a few more mirrors with a similar vibe.

WOOD BALL MIRROR | PB TEEN | $199

ROSE GOLD MIRROR WITH DETACHABLE HANGING CHAIN | WALMART | $13.99

ZINGS & THINGS FAUX LEATHER HANGING WALL MIRROR | AMAZON | $33.57

FRANC DECORATIVE WALL MIRROR | HOUZZ | $35.99

Thanks SO much to this powerhouse group for lending your ears and ideas to help make the Rassawek jubilee sponsored by James River Air Conditioning Company even better!TFB’s “Ask The Influencers” combines a focus group and influencer strategy to get the right folks in the room talking about your brand at the right stage. Reach out if you’d like to set one up for your brand!