She's Pretty Cool

Diane Keaton in the 70's - I think I would like to be her friend.

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Here Goes Nothing

So I have been going back and forth on sharing my class projects here for a couple reasons. 1.) I am painfully shy and pretty sensitive most of the time and 2.) I am still learning and so I know it is all a work in progress. I also know that being a designer/ creative person is about putting yourself out there - how else will anyone ever find you and how will you grow?

Our latest project will take three weeks and incorporate many different areas that as a class we will have to vote on until we have an identity built for a concept that we developed last week. We are designing for a fictional business called The Art Shack. The idea behind this place is that it would be a place where artists from different mediums could gather and rent studio space, get work printed and generally meet other people. It would have a cafe, supply store and courtyard (among other things) - pretty awesome right?

The first stop was to develop a logo that each student had to present to the class on Tuesday and we would vote on the official logo for the business. And well my logo was voted in!! The funny thing is I see things that I would like to change to make it better, but I am always pretty critical with my own work. I snapped this pic of it yesterday to share with you all. My idea was that the logo should be clean, simple, appeal to a variety of creative types, and be easily reproduced on printed materials, packaging, etc. So taa-daa...

I Have An Odd Sense Of Humor

I picked up this little gem a while back at a swap meet and it makes me chuckle every time I see it...

Do you think someone ever received one of these? 

And...

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This Week

I need to work on loosening up a bit - or so I have been told. I am going to try and not be SO uptight this week. I can't make any promises, but I am going to try. Sometimes it is hard for people to believe that I am someone who would run off at 18 and elope in Vegas. I need to reconnect with that spontaneous girl, just a tiny little bit - let's not get too crazy!!

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It's Feeling A Little Like

There is finally a little bit of a chill here in Sunny Southern California. I had to break out my sweater yesterday and I even kept it on all day - although I still could wear flip flops no problem. 

Fall is my favorite season - boots, sweaters, hot cider, and wool socks. It is one of the things I miss about Colorado and even though we have been in California for 14 years now I still look forward to that crisp smell of the air as the seasons begin to change. I don't see those seasons change much around here (and I am not complaining) but Fall will always have a spot in my heart and I can admire you from afar.

Happy Friday Friends!!

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Because Sometimes

A simple image and a pretty color can point you in a new direction.

Original image shot by Albert Giordan combined with a bright purple that I like today.

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Dear Blog

My dear blog I have missed you so, but I am wrapping up some projects and plan on spending some quality time with you very soon!!! Please be patient with me as I think of you daily.

XOXO - Me

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Head First

I am so glad that this week is finally over, I don't know about you all but it seemed to drag on and on and on. I am planning on tackling a couple items on my to do list, but they are all fun projects so it shouldn't be too bad. 

Isn't the above image fun, I came across it while procrastinating on Pinterest the other day and I think it summed up my feelings for this week pretty well. Have a wonderful weekend and see you back here next week!!

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Facing A Fear

I am fairly certain that I am suffering from Blank Page Syndrome. I like, no scratch that, LOVE to buy sketchbooks. I think that having a place to keep track of your ideas is brilliant and Z is always telling me that I need to get my design ideas down on paper and I agree. So I go out and pick up a book that I think will be perfect. A big one so I can fill it with all those tear sheets I take from magazines, a small one cause if I could keep it in my bag that would be better, and well you get the idea. And then I FREEZE.

I can't get past that first page. I want it to be perfect and pretty and something that I can flip past and feel a bit inspired. So I stare at it for a few weeks - unsure of what I should fill the page with and then I put it away with the other empty sketchbooks that sit in a drawer - my secret shame. I do have quite a collection don't I?!?

Well I need to get over this quick because for one of my classes this semester we need to keep a graphic journal - 100 pages filled by the end of the semester with whatever we want. So I have spent the past few weeks watching everyone in class as they slowly fill up their books with perfect doodles, rough drawings that look amazing to this non-drawer, and handwritten notes about what they like about a logo. It all looks intimidating to me and I feel a small sense of dread mixed with panic as I look down in my bag and there sits my empty book waiting - begging for attention. 

Well this week I am going to put something down and I am going to try and be OK with the idea that it won't be perfect. Wish me luck friends.

Do any of you all have strange hurdles like this - please let me know that I am not the only one!!!

Bought, Read, & Watched.

I am happy to say after a heavy duty round of antibiotics I am finally back to feeling almost human again. Being sick, having a heatwave and the power outage that San Diego experienced had left me feeling  - well BLAH!! But this weekend I woke up with some energy, our perfect weather was back and I was pretty tired of laying on the couch being a grumpy mess.

I had to get out and well I found a couple of fun purchases...

Is there anything better than office supplies?!?! I have been enamored with them since I was a little girl and I always find an excuse to buy them even now. My new glitter composition book, gigantic eraser, and Micron pens will all be getting put to good use - I just know it!

I also started reading...

I was first grabbed by the cover design to be honest, I am only in the first chapter, but so far I love it. The idea of trying to define my personal style seems like a project I would like to accomplish. I have been feeling in a bit of a rut lately to be honest - do you ever get in those moods where you hate your hair, your clothes all start looking the same, and your closet is a sad mess - well that's where I am at. Hopefully this book will shake things up a bit, I will have to keep you posted.

I also decided to start a Hitchcock movie fest. One classic film a weekend (I love horror/thriller movies) until I get through them all. First up...

The Birds. It was a perfect blend of creepy and suspenseful, plus Tippi Hedren had an amazing wardrobe.

That was my weekend in a nutshell - what where you all up to?

Movie still source, all other photos by me.

Go Amelia

Did you know that on August 25, 1932 Amelia Earhart landed the first solo transcontinental flight made by a woman? She departed Los Angeles, CA on August 24th and landed in a record breaking 19 hours later in Newark, NJ. How is that for some girl power? 

Just a fun fact to share with you.

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Finally.

I am so happy my good friend Friday has finally arrived. 

This week seemed to be filled with projects that took longer than expected and hours that slipped by too quickly. I am looking forward spending some downtime with my toes in the grass and the sun on my face. Don't you think that weekends during the summer always feel like mini vacations, or is it just me. 

Hope all you lovely people have a happy weekend, and of course a fantastic Fourth of July.

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Beautiful & Bazaar

Two people who fascinate and inspire me, just sayin'. 

Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter Vogue UK December 2008 shot by Tim Walker. 

Monday Goodness.

Happy Monday Friends!!! 

This weekend I had a small love affair with cupcakes. The lovely Jenn over at A Home in the Making posted some delightful looking strawberry cupcakes last week and I was INSPIRED. You see in addition to the color white, fluffy puppies, and unicorns  - strawberry cupcakes make my little heart sing with joy. So I was determined to make them this weekend and I did. 

Yay me!!! 

Head over and check out her delish recipe for yourself here and be prepared to skip with pure happiness that only a cupcake with lovely pink frosting can bring you. If your jeans are a little snug just skip a little more, it's worth it, I promise. 

See A Penny...

One of the many reasons I love Pinterest is because you can see a ton a wonderful ideas without spending a bazillion hours searching the web, like this super cool penny floor. The folks over at Revolver installed about 340,000 pennies by hand, talk about some tedious labor, but man does it look cool. It is things like this that make me want to become a home owner. I can imagine this as the floor in a small bathroom, or even a kitchen. However I soon realize that being a home owner comes with tons of other stuff and so I write out another rent check and go along my merry little way. 

P.S. I have to wonder if this floor smells funny, like a jar of loose change.

Running Away

I am slowly getting back into shape, and when I say slowly I mean S-L-O-W-L-Y. I am working on the Couch to 5k program and everyday I make a little more progress which is encouraging. I did realize that my current running shoes were not being very nice to me so I headed out and purchased the Nike Free Run. They are suppose to feel as though you are running in your bare feet (which I guess is a good thing) and they are super light. I am hoping they magically make running easier, or at least make my feet happy.

Why Pick One?

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Confession: I have a minor obsession with chairs. I desperately want an Eames (or a whole room full of them). The problem I am running into is which color do I want - yellow, red, turquoise, white?!?!?

So when I saw the above watercolor on the Lonny Blog painted by AMAZING illustrator Caitlin McGauley I though why have I never considered pink. (Yes I know in her piece the chair is white, but the background is pink and well my thought process confuses even me sometimes) Z is not buying a pink chair for the office bit so I will continue to obsess about the perfect color and share my dreams of a pink chair here with you all.

Because It Is Monday...

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and it usually ends up looking that way anyway and well who am I kidding it is just plain easier on most days.