iPhonedrawn Letters

I purchased the Inspire app some time ago and have been trying to make an effort to use it more since it was one of the few apps that I have paid for.

On my flight back from my latest trip to Maryland, I decided to do letters and I am pretty happy with how well they turned out with such little time (about 10 minutes each letter). I hope to do a whole alphabet in my spare time.

  

My Ears ♥ Django Django

"Default" by Django Django

I was in Maryland over the weekend and the Drafthouse/Movie theatre I went to used this song in a commercial - I couldn't get it out of my head. Thankfully, I was able to read the tiny type at the end of the video  that referenced it, and I instantly found it on Youtube to save for later. (Amen for iPhones, yes?) The song is just so catchy and easy to bob your head to. You bet your sweet bippy I am adding this to my running playlist. I've listened to it 3 times so far writing this post. I am still getting used to their other songs, but it's okay to just love one song from an artist, right?

Not only is the lead singer totally gorgeous, but this music video is insane. Unless they are using some newfangled psuedo-DIY technology, I believe that this is frame-by-frame, hand-painted, stop-motion goodness. You just have to respect the hell out of anyone who can create such an elaborate video by hand.

They would have had to shoot the video, print ALL of the frames (typically 24 per second, which means it was about 4,464 printouts), HAND PAINT them all, put them all back in order, do the special cutouts, and then photograph them all back on the wall in perfect precision so the placement doesn't jump around. And that is the simple version.

Front End Design Conference 2012

I finally did it! After several years of personal debate, I decided that it was time to register for the Front-End Design Conference. I am taking off from work Friday, June 8th to attend and I couldn't be more excited.

Why have I waited, you ask? It wasn't until recently that I have been getting deeper into web development and design, so this conference is a more relevant to my career than it would have been three years ago.

For those who are unfamiliar, it's a 2-day conference that addresses both the user design and development of web design. In their words, it is a "... web design conference focused on content, presentation and behavior." It's hosted by creatives and programmers who share their knowledge on the latest methods and tricks of the trade, followed by talks lead by conference goers.

If you are attending or know anyone who is planning on it, feel free to follow me on Twitter. I am really looking forward to the networking aspect - I have been wanting to collaborate and spend more time around local creatives and programmers for some time now and I know this conference is how I'll achieve that goal.

See Front End on Facebook | Follow Front End on Twitter | Register for Front End

Not Quite Instagram

 

Now reading Interworld by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves. • One of my vegan Thai standby's - veggie roll and tofu dips. 

 

Sketching some ideas for the blog. • Colors and patterns that make me happy.

 

New office freelance affirmations from Mikey Burton. • A walk in the park.

 

My best friend spotted these sandals online and I fell in love. They're a little small, but I love how they look. • We invested a whole $6 into this pineapple plant. I know it will probably be some time (up to 20 months!) before it flowers, but I love the idea of growing my own pineapple.

 

I recently tried to replicate a caviar manicure. I love how it turned out, but it only lasted a day before they started falling off in hunks. I may try sealing it all in a bit better next time. • Our kitten, Remy, loves to sleep with us and his favorite place in the morning is on Frank. 

 

Frank built us a custom bench for our herbs and peppers and it turned out wonderfully! I am so in love with it and I know that our little plants are going to be happy for more room. 

Sketchings

 

One of my goals this year was to draw more on a daily basis, and one of my favorite things to draw is other people, especially curvy women and scurvy old pirates. These last few days have been nuts, but I managed to get in some sketches. I am making a point of bringing my sketchbook(s) with me, and hope to pull them out in times of boredom or impending procrastination.

What are you trying to make daily time for?

Loving with Bloglovin'

✚ In her recent post, "Lessons from Chuck Close", Ana of Door Sixteen made a wonderful point about the true differentiation between amateurs and professionals. I have been trying my best to practice this mentality myself. A lot of my time is spent on looking at the beautiful work floating around, when I should just be making some of my own. Sort of in tandem with the post I wrote about how other people's work affects me. A lot of this is going to come from me stepping away from the computer, and this post is definitely making me want to do this now.

✚ I recently shot a portrait of my best friend Kelly Wren and entered it into the April Photo Challenge, hosted by Allison Lehman. I am definitely up for some sincere competition, but I honestly just wanted a chance to use my camera. I am also really digging Allie's blog. I found it a few months ago and haven't looked back. Her series "Here We Go" on blogging is so helpful. I love how the shot of my best friend turned out. Isn't she gorgeous?

✚ Ciara wrote a well-explained and photographed DIY about cloning plants that may be hard to find. It details how you would foster a cut donated by a friend or family member without having to grow from a seedling. I have noticed the trend of cloning/regrowing plants from cuttings and love that plant sharing is a thing!

My Ears ♥ These Beats

I've been really into fun, chippy, electronic music with eerie vocals. I know I've posted similar tunes recently, but I can't get enough of these three songs. 

1.  

Apply (Tanlines Remix) by Glasser

2.  

"Einmal in der Woche schreien" by Siriusmo [Don't mind the horribly odd video.]

3.  

"Bucharest" by The New Division

What have you been listening to lately?

A Ringing Obsession

In my immediate group of friends and peers, online and off, there seems to be a trend of both babies and marriage. As the latter is the only option I'd consider for the time being, I started to think about what would happen if this did occur. About the engagement ring, the planning, the excitement of it all... Sometimes, Pinterest is the catalyst for daydreams, but the truth is that I have been thinking about weddings a lot in the last few years, and how I would make my own special.

Diamond ring silver ring - Recycled silver sterling diamon stone ring by OritNaar on Etsy.

I'd like to think of myself as off the beaten path, but sometimes I have to admit that white stones just have something special and ceremonial about them. Not necessarily diamonds, but pale quartz and in this case, white topaz. Speaking of, one of the songs from Ceremonials would absolutely be on my wedding ceremony playlist. Can you guess which one? Hint: this one.

One of a Kind Grey Pear Rose Cut Diamond RIng in 14kt Yellow Gold by LexLuxe on Etsy

I have never been much for gold, but I am in love with pear-shaped stones and this diamond reminds me of one of my favorite stones - smoky quartz. I think it would be a wonderful ring to cherish and enjoy even after the engagement.

14k Gold Hearts on Sterling Silver Ring with Black Drusy Stone- Handmade Rachel Pfeffer by RachelPfefferDesigns on Etsy

It's a little unorthodox, but how beautiful is this? I think the engagement style of the ring is assisted by the tiny hearts. It's totally adorable and dark. I've been wanting a druzy ring for some time. I love the raw, organic look of chunky cut stones.

starry night ... labradorite cocktail ring by sirenjewels on Etsy

Starry Night is a wonderful painting, and after seeing it in person, I was even more enthralled with it. Frank and I even have a wonderful canvas print of the piece (that we still need to frame). I also have several pieces of labradorite jewelry from Melissa of sirenjewels and can attest to the quality that she puts into each piece. 

Engagement Amethyst Day of the Dead Ring Mother of Pearl Original Carving by RXVrings on Etsy

Violet is a big staple color in my wardrobe and with somewhat of a darker taste, I find this Day of the Dead ring BEYOND gorgeous. The artist of this shop has been the apple of my eye for some time, and this would be a perfect cute but deadly addition to my life, with the Mother of Pearl adding a wedding sensuality. This ring is very much a culmination of Frank and I. This one and this one are giving it a run for it's money, though. [How awesome is this wedding set?!]

Blood Garnet Baby Octopus Ring by Octopus Me on Etsy

Octopi and all forms of cephalopods have been one of my longest standing obsessions and this shop has been my longest Etsy obsession. In fact, this shop and its items were the first things on my Etsy favorites. Garnet is Frank's birth stone and the mildly heart-shape tentacles really get to me, in the best way possible. 

Rainbow Moonstone and Sterling Silver Teardrop Ring by LuraJewelry on Etsy

Moonstone is another one of those beautiful white stones that really astonishes me. Its faceted depths and light-sensitivity is just perfect. With a turn of the hand, a white stone becomes a prism of light violet and blues, with flecks of gold and white. I am also a huge fan of organic silver and I love the simple patina band with the gorgeous teardrop/pear shaped stone. 

The Threat of Creativity

the storm catcher. by Cristina Otero Photography

A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.
Ayn Rand

---

Let's talk about creativity for a quick minute.

I had always been extremely competitive, getting offended by the success of others. It wasn't until late that I stopped feeling bad for myself and started to appreciate the prowess of those around me.

I think I, like others, forget that there is an abundance of awesome in this world. NOT, say, a pool of awesome that will be drained someday so you better get on that because once someone else gets good, there's no hope for you.

The internet allows people to share vast amounts of data, and in our case, often times this data is in the form of work, photography, design, and beyond. With so much amazing being displayed daily, it's easy to say "Well, there's already enough awesome out there." and call it a day. The problem is, most people only display the fluffy, happy parts of their life because they're selling their design to clients 24 hours a day. There's no room for the back end to peek through. Because of this factor, it's really easy to look at other designers and get overwhelmed by their advanced talent - simply because you can't see obvious factors like how they've been in the field for longer or that they only sleep an hour a night because they push themselves to exhaustion.

One of my classmates and I were talking about our future, and he went on about a really cool but established niche market of laser-engraved driftwood. He had tons of ideas for it, and for designer hats, shirts, design services and more. I could tell he had a bright idea for all of these markets, but about halfway through his story, he told me that he didn't think he was going to bother. He told me he wasn't really going to try because there was already a few big guns in the market.

At that point, I stopped him and essentially said "Listen, just because someone else is out there doing something similar, doesn't mean you're barred from it. Even if you have an identical product, there will always be SOMETHING that sets you apart, and that one little thing may be the customer's decision between buying your product over their's."

Especially in the field of graphic design, there is no end to the competition. Software is so widely available that it takes a little bit of time and effort before someone can essentially do what I do. It would be really easy for me to get overwhelmed and worried about my fellows and choose to leave the field. But, I don't think I will - at the end of the day, design is what I love to do and the success of others is not a detriment to my own.

My creativity flows from myself, and flows into the world where there are lots of other brilliant, wonderful works of art and thought and idea - but it FLOWS. It does not stop at the sight of a better creativity - simply because there isn't a better creativity - all creativity is wonderful and does not squash or belittle another's.

My own hopes for my future are mine and mine alone, and are not affected by the outcome of other's decisions or portfolios. I am my own creative force and I will flourish because of it.

A Weekend Adventure

Sometimes, Frank and I like to get into our car and drive. We pick a direction and... sort of just go. The area of Florida we live in is slightly ocean-locked, so there really are only 3 directions we can head in, but we try to find something interesting to do on a tank of gas. Last Saturday, we had plans to go to Ocala State Forest but after deciding not to lose 5 hours just driving there, we ended up staying local most of the day.

Frank had just worked a 4am-9:30am shift and I didn't want to subject him to long car rides when I knew he'd want to get to bed early.

So instead of heading to Ocala, we ran a few errands and found our way to a local exotic pet store, where we oogled at all of the fun and mysterious animals. Of course, I took the chance to take a few snapshots of the adorable residents of the store.

After that, we went to pick up a few more things for our garden and then got on the road. I had an itch to make it to some park before the day was up, but being in a new city was making it hard to know where we had to go. I had a feeling we were getting close - we were in one of those nicer commercial areas saturated equally with both trees and concrete.

Finally, I spotted a hand-painted sign for a pit stop called Lake Park, so 1/8 of a mile later, we turned in. Being total dorks, we had forgotten cash for entry fees, but were surprised when the girl manning the gate let us in on the stipulation we'd get it "next time".

Happy about our fortune and with no idea where we were going, we wound our way back into the park before finding a nature trail nestled back next to a playground, dotted with unnaturally bright plastic dinosaur swings and a tiny blue whale. Though we weren't really dressed for rigorous activity, we made our way in and ended up walking the length around the lake, which I guesstimate to be around 3.5 miles.

It was lovely and warm, with a delicious breeze and no souls to be seen. We spotted a turtle, a few pileated woodpeckers and plenty of bugs. We ended up walking far enough that we knew we'd have to finish the circle to get back to the car. It was an easygoing walk, though I could tell Frank was getting tired near the end of his very long day.

Though it wasn't terribly enthralling, I was happy to get out and use my camera, and of course, spend time with my lovely.

We celebrated Sunday with some errands in the morning and a lovely, delicious Easter dinner with my family. It was a fun, productive weekend - a prelude to what is turning out to be a very, very stressful week.

Design Refined | Fire at the Ice Factory

There are a lot of beautiful buildings around where I work. Chiefly, this ice factory, that burned down some time ago. Neither of us could find any other information, unfortunately. My best friend and I both wish we could buy the building and turn it around. With her an aspiring Art Historian and me a designer, we have dreams of a dual gallery space/design studio. This building, with outside patio, internal factory space and office on the side would be just perfect. I guess I'll add that to my lottery list.

On to the outfit... I received these boots as a very late Christmas gift and had been waiting for many, many weeks to wear them. When the weather mentioned rain, I decided to just throw them on with my outfit and wait for the downpour. Funny enough, it was a bright, crisp day and it never even rained in the evening.

[Apologies for the squinty face - it was bright and I have this really weird sensitivity to sunlight that makes me close to blind when it's even marginally bright out.]

Despite being slightly down about not being able to splash into fun puddles, I was glad to get them out and about. They're super comfy and pretty snazzy, if I do say so myself.

Once again, my best friend Kelly Wren pulled some awesome photo skills and took awesome shots of me. Mind you, these pictures are taken with a little Canon point and shoot, so it takes some good direction to get photos to turn out well. Thanks, beastie!

And of course, the outtake...

Kelly: "This one turned out great! You look like Jesus."

Necklace  SirenJewels on Etsy

Bracelets  H&M + Thrifted + Twistband  |  Dress  Old Navy

Tights  Catherine's |  Socks  Gifted

Shoes  Storm by Cougar Women's Mercury Rain Boot

My Five Favorite Things

Tracy of Shutterbean has prompted us all to share our current 5 favorite things, so share I shall (in no particular order)!

1 Twistbands I got the metallic pack in a Refinery29 sale a few months ago and love them so, so much. The cool thing is that you can just wear them on your wrist and sport a cool bracelet, while having an awesome hairtye that won't crinkle your hair. I've worn them as jewelry more often than in my hair, but like using them on lazy days, or to hold my towel on my head when I get out of the shower.

2 Neutrogena SPF 15 Moisturizer For Christmas last year, my mother got me the Allure Neutrogena super package box, full of the top-rated Neutrogena products. While I admit I haven't used most of the goodies, I am almost halfway done with my moisturizer. I was previously using Clinique's Redness Solutions Daily Cream but found it heavy at times. Though I am trying to tan this summer, I know the importance of SPF protection and think it does a great job.

3 Florida State Parks and Forests Every now and then, I get a little tired of Florida's flat-as-a-pancake geography. I love mountains a LOT. Having lived in Florida my whole life, it is somewhat easy to get bored of the beaches and palm trees (sorry, Northerners). It wasn't until last year that I took a deep, sincere interest in my state's natural beauty. Though we don't have much in ways of vertical land, we have lots of beautiful natural springs and lots of gorgeous flora and fauna. This weekend, Frank and I are going to Ocala National Forest for a nature hike and a dip in one of the area's springs!

4 Veggie Sushi Rolls I grew up on sushi and Asian cuisine, so when I chose to go vegan, I knew it was going to be a special hardship. Thanks to my friend Rachel, I remembered that there are simply vegetable, rice and seaweed rolls at most establishments. Since then, I have been getting mixed veggie (lettuce, carrot, avocado and asparagus) rolls with crispy tofu dips. Delicious and filling! Now I need to start making them from home...

5 New Books I'll admit that over the past few years I have lost interest in books, claiming I didn't have the time for it (when we all know I did, but simply didn't make time). Thankfully, my beastie of a best friend is the biggest bookworm I know and is a treasure-trove of awesome books, which she always graciously lets me borrow. I recently finished reading Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and loved it. Thankfully, the author is working on the next book and I can't wait. I am reading InterWorld now and after that, will either read Abarat or Ender's Game.

My New Shop: Jellywish Jellyfish on Etsy

Jellywish Jellyfish on Etsy

I mentioned in passing in my last post that I opened a new Etsy shop, but I want to go into a little more detail.

I have always loved ocean animals, especially jellyfish. I think they're beyond amazing and display a lot of my favorite characteristics of ocean-dwelling animals, like long tentacles, intelligence and reaction to light.

I wanted to find a way to make a jellyfish that was both colorful and elegant, and was inspired to make these jellyfish with clay hoods and fun string tentacles. This first batch was very colorful, as I was experimenting with variations.

This weekend, I'll be completing a custom set for a fellow Etsian and can't wait to share.

I hope to get more experienced with painting and work on more refined jellies as time goes on.

A Thankful Tuesday

Reminding myself of the many things I am thankful for... how my sunburns turn into even tans • great Florida weather • vegan options of my favorite foods • Doctor Who • how easy it is to clean up my tiny house • great classmates • the Etsy community • awesome friends/coworkers • a new & improved haircut and color • cards from my best friend • finding new design resources • recommended books that I end up loving • inspiration without intimidation • my cuddly kitten • fruit smoothies in hot weather • a beach house I can visit anyday.

I just opened an Etsy store for my handmade Jellyfish. Check it out!