new blog location

baby gift

 A friend recently had a baby and asked if I would make some artwork for his nursery. She really liked the birth announcement-like canvases that you see all over Pinterest and wanted something similar to hang in his nursery. These friends are giant Cubs fans so little Simon's nursery is appropriately Cubs themed so I continued that in the color scheme of the announcement. I originally had planned to digitize the hand lettering and then get it printed through Spoonflower but I realized that I could do it much quicker if I just skipped the computer part. I ended up hand painting it onto off-white linen using acrylic paint and then mounting it on canvas stretchers. Amazingly enough, hand painting the lettering wasn't that difficult and went pretty quickly.

on the hunt: one-piece swimsuit

I feel like this year's options when it comes to one-pieces are a lot better than it has been other seasons. I have a hard time when it comes to swim suit shopping because I like coverage which apparently swim suit brands don't believe in (at least not in conjunction with a cute pattern). I found a bunch through online searching and found a surprisingly great selection at Old Navy the other day.

The middle black number was the winner for my upcoming trip to Miami. 

From top: Arrowhead Ikat Tank suit from J.Crew, Bandeau One-piece from Gap, Ruched suit from Old Navy, Pink one-piece from American Eagle, Polka-dot Ruched Underwire Tank suit from J.Crew, Striped Bandeau from Old Navy

i've been obsessed with pencils lately

I was thinking as a leave behind for my upcoming review...

From: Left | Middle | Right

elephants just make me happy

Did you know we use the word 'Jumbo' to describe large things because it was the name of one of Barnum's elephants?

Photo from here.

my life in 10 weeks

I am wrapping up yet another quarter. I have just one more project to turn in before I have three weeks of break which include a trip to Miami! While you might not be able to tell from my blog I've actually been doing very well on my photo taking. As I browse through my last few weeks I find that you can tell that my life revolves around classes and projects because that is what a majority of my photos chronicle. I really like that I think to document some of the mundane moments and my process because it's such a large part of my life that it amuses me to have people "like" these photos when they're viewed out of context.

I thought I'd do a little round-up of my school-related photos from the previous 10 weeks.

1. A slide that make me chuckle from a speaker at the Design Ethos conference that SCAD hosted.  2. A bit of process for my 3D project.  3. My friend's extraordinary interview skills for her thesis project.  4. Some napkin sketching action during drinks with a friend.  5. Practicing printing transfer for my final packaging projects.  6. Fun vinyl stickers that I made for my 3D project.  7. Actual PB&J sandwiches that I made and packaged for my class to enjoy.  8. Final's weekend to-do list that I'm still in the process of completing.

orla kiely spring collection

Orla Kiely has some beautiful new pieces in her spring collection that I am drooling over. I'll be keeping an eye out for similar styles in a more affordable price range.

Left to right: Double Cotton Pinafore Dress, Pleated Silk Boat Neck Dress, Ottoman Strappy Dress

in defense of my food-heavy instagram feed

 

my 365: march

Oh dear, I've moved on to labeling them merely by month, that's a bad sign. I'm about a month behind so bear with me...

1. Finals cram sessions are not complete without a Red Bull. I'm living the stereotype here.  2. This was, if I remember correctly, around 2 am during my typeface design all-nighter.  3. And this would be the results of that all-nighter.  4. My picnic lunch that I treated myself with while finishing up my Art History research paper. My sister turned me onto grapefruit soda and now I'm addicted.  5. My pretty new (and very painful) shoes bought with birthday money.  6. Reading at the coffee shop while being serenaded by a violin player at the next table.  7. St. Patty's Day in Savannah!  8. The greatest book of all time -- The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern  9. Picking my sister up at the airport.  10. First visit to the beach of the summer.

adventures in cooking: tom yum soup

 

My sister turned me onto this recipe when she was here visiting. I love Tom Yum soup and was excited that this recipe has easy to find ingredients in addition to being quick and easy to make. The nice thing about this recipe is that there is a lot of wiggle room in ingredient choices. This was the original recipe and I've made some small revisions (alterations are in italics) that are reflected in my version below.

This recipe yields enough for 2 sizable servings and it keeps really nicely.

The recipe:

3-4 cups chicken stock

1 stalk lemongrass, lower 1/3 finely minced

zest of 1 lime plus a squeeze of it's juice

12-14 medium or large raw shrimp, shelled

2 Tbsp fish sauce or 1-1 1/2 Tbsp oyster sauce

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

3 cloves garlic, minced

generous handful fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced thinly

1 green and/or red bell pepper, sliced (I prefer to skip the peppers)

1/2 can coconut milk

1/3 cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped

1 fresh jalapeno, sliced

2-3 stalks green onion

Preparation:

1. Heat stock on medium to high heat in a deep cooking pot. Add minced lemongrass, including upper parts of the stalk, to the broth and boil 5-6 minutes, until fragrant.

2. Reduce heat to a nice simmer. Then add garlic, red pepper flakes, lime, green onions, jalapeno and mushrooms to broth. Continue simmering for another 5 minutes.

3. Add shrimp and simmer 5 minutes, or until shrimp are pink and plump.

4. Turn heat down to low and add the coconut milk and fish (or oyster) sauce. Taste the soup and adjust to taste. If too sour, add 1 tsp. brown sugar. For a richer, creamier soup add more coconut milk.

5. Serve garnished with fresh coriander.

music monday: fun.

I'm a little late to the "fun." party but this is seriously one catchy tune. Upon looking into the band I am not at all surprised that I like them because I was a fan of the lead singer's former group The Format as well.

my 365: week nine & ten-ish

I'm embarrassingly far behind in my photo-a-day resolution in posting and a little in taking. There's been a few days missed here and there and I'm trying to get back into the groove.

1. A rainy day  2. My empty birthday drink  3. Making corrections to my S  4. The Savannah Theater marquee  5. My favorite drink, an Iced Americano, out of a mason jar at Foxy Loxy  6. A rainy day of wandering for type inspiration  7. My computer set-up for type design  8. My birthday present from my sister that was the hardest box to track down  9. Fish-eye lens experimenting in class  10. A beautiful blue sky

inside my school bag

A new SCAD quarter just started yesterday and while it's still a tad organized I thought I'd share what I routinely have in my bag.

Clockwise from top left: I've given up on folders and resorted to these great envelopes because I was never one to keep them very tidy anyway. It has a great front pocket on each where I can keep my syllabus handy and it keeps everything in one spot. I always have my mini stapler, glue stick, and white-out on me. My calendar that I rely on to tell me everything. I usually have a couple rolls of washi tape in my bag somewhere because they are great for taping things into my sketchbooks or calendar. An assortment of pens and markers. I'm very loyal to my felt tip marker that I take notes with and it's essential to have large markers handy for brainstorming. My headphones, id card, and chapstick are always inside my wallet. Lately I've taken to carrying a large container of ibuprofen around. And lastly, an assortment of post-its. Very important, and I always find myself searching the bottom of my bag for them!

mini masterpieces

It's never too early to introduce the kiddies to the works of Jane Austen, Shakespeare, and Charlotte Bronte. I would love to buy these in bulk to give to all my expecting friends (which there are quite a few)!

The illustrations are by Alison Oliver of Sugar.

Quaker – A typeface

This is probably my biggest design accomplishment to date, and it's only halfway done.

This quarter I took the course Typeface Design where I began work on my first typeface entitled Quaker. So far Quaker includes uppercase glyphs, numbers, and primary punctuation. I'll continue working on them next quarter and complete the full set.

It was inspired by a vintage canvas sugar bag that I saw in an antique store. The starting point was the A and during the design process it is one of the few forms that did not experience significant revisions.

I have a lot of process documentation for this project because I intend to show this in my 45 hour MFA review. Below is a video that shows the designing process for the original six key glyphs and the E. I have over 10,000 frames from the duration of the project so I have to find a way to display them without it becoming an hour long motion picture. I think it is safe to say that I would be the ONLY person interested in that.

reading wishlist

I looking forward to being able to read over my spring break without feeling guilty. My amazon shopping cart has exploded with books that I just can't quite bring myself to buy. This is partially due to the fact that I'm very angry at losing my amazon student status that got me free two day shipping but that is besides the point.

If anyone is feeling generous and would like to donate or gift me with any one of these puppies I would be extremely grateful! Congratulations-on-finishing-your-finals gift perhaps?? Oh wait, does that holiday not exist?

I might just have to reallocate my birthday funds from the previously mentioned dress into books. Now that's an interesting thought: 1 dress = 8 (used) books.

From top to bottom: Just My Type, Made by Hand: Searching for Meaning in a Throwaway World, The Night Circus, The Craftsman, A Love Letter For You, Shop Class as Soulcraft: An inquiry into the Value of Work, Cradle to Cradle, and How to be a Graphic Designer without Losing your Soul

All images from Amazon.

sign painting

The focus of my current research project for the Visual Culture course that I am currently taking is the current resurgence of hand painted signage. One of my primary cases studies that I have been using as an example is the company Colossal Media who have successfully established themselves as purveyors of hand painted outdoor media. Their work can be seen in several of the U.S.'s major markets and is (I believe) contributing to the medium's reemergence. Watch this video and you'll understand. One thing that I think has assisted in the public's* sudden interest is the focus on the process. The development of these works become an installation piece and we can very easily attach a face to the work being created. This skill straddles the line between the fine art and the graphic design, especially when used for advertisements like the work of Colossal Media. It is ironic that I compare this skill to the fine arts because historically and even contemporarily it is rare that those who possess this undeniable skill are considered "artists" in the traditional sense of the term,  instead labeled as craftsmen. This idea of a "craftsman" is also of great interest to me but that is a topic for another time. Primarily because I need to complete a lot more reading on that topic to fully form my opinion. But I digress. I feel that I have happened upon this subject at just the right time because many within my university community (and definitely outside of Savannah too, such as this, this, and this) are also thinking about it.

However, this is also somewhat unfortunate because I would always like to hope that my ideas are new and different but nay, they are not. This brings about another question, though maybe not question but proof, that you are indeed a product of your surroundings. While I don't think sign painting has become a sudden interest to me it has definitely become a new research interest and I wonder how much of that is affected by my surroundings. What have I seen, heard or been exposed to that nudged me in this direction?



*I say public but then quickly realize that as a graduate graphic design student my knowledge of "public" is very skewed. So let's consider this just my small corner of the public.

image from Colossal Media.

new dresses

I have some birthday money burning a hole in my pocket and spring has made it to Savannah. I am ready for flow-y, light dresses, sandals and no tights. Actually, I like tights; I am sad when it becomes to warm to wear them.

I'm currently eying these lovelies who were all in the running as birthday dresses but lost out because they were only available online.

1. Coincidence & Chance Short Sleeved Chiffon Dress, $59  2. Cooperative Knit Twill Circle Dress, $59  3. Coincidence & Chance Revel Dress, $79

my 365: week eight

1. The snow cone cart's sleeping spot  2. Wrought iron fence shadows   3. Spinning globe  4. Hands down, the best tacos I've ever had although it did make me miss the Taco Truck in Indy. Those were pretty darn good too.  5. The beginning of my birthday surprise!! This clue was followed by three more that I got throughout the day  6. Broughton Street on a rainy evening  7. Birthday mimosas!

anatomy of a birthday box

My mother sends some pretty strange care packages. Not strange in a bad way; quite the opposite in fact! I caught her at the grocery store right before she sent it so I was loaded up with all the random items I was running out of in addition to all the birthday goodies she was sending.

Two boxes came within the same week and I do not get mail easily at my apartment. My mailman is not the most proactive deliverer, therefore, I have to anticipate his arrival and track down anything larger than my mail slot. I got to know my mailman quite well this week!

Pixar stamps
White cake mix and frosting – my fave!
Contact solution
Filter for my water pitcher – I'm TERRIBLE about changing those
Peanut butter – she singlehandedly keeps me stocked with pb
Candles – for the cake
Coffee – lots of it!
Butterfingers
A bag of mini snickers
1 box of thin mint Girl Scout cookies
A bag of chocolate chips
A bag of Reese's peanut butter chips
Cheez-its
Toothpaste
Soap
Band-aids
Neosporin
Ibuprofen
Paper towels
BIRTHDAY PRESENTS!!!

Now that was just box one. Box two was a little stranger. I can only assume that she just started loading it with random stuff at a certain point to fill it up.

Another box of thin mint Girl Scout cookies
Lofthouse sugar cookies
Lettuce wrap sauce – ???
A large can of olive oil
Lysol wipes
Peanut butter
Buttons
Chocolate chips
Granola bars
Peanut butter M&Ms
Random make-up samples
Dried mushrooms – ???
Crispy caramel apple chips

I'm not sure what this list says about me?

my 365: week seven

1. Valentine's Day on the alley chalkboard  2. My favorite new coffee shop Foxy Loxy  3. Peanut Butter and Chocolate Ganache Cookies  4. Late night homework and coffee  5. Crosswalk  6. The beginnings of a typeface  7. Game night! Phase 10!

music monday: cults

For Valentine's Day my friend made me a really thoughtful mixed cd of new music which I've had on repeat for over a week now. I've been hooked on this one song in particular.

10 things i'm loving: yellow edition

1. R from vintage signage  2. Urbanears headphones in mustard  3. Orla Kiely coat  4. Hand-Tufted Yellow Stripe Wool Rug  5. The Great Gatsby  6. Silhouette Sofa  7. Gold Card Dress from ModCloth, I'm very sad that it is no longer available  8. Yellow Tea on the Go Mug  9. ASOS Pintuck Front Shell Top  10. Wedges from Ruche (also, sadly, no longer available)

my 365: week six

1. The letter O  2. Working on my floral typeface  3. Handwritten hello  4. Inside the library during an early morning of research  5. Krispy Kreme donuts brought into class by my prof  6. Skee ball and laser tag  7. Frozen Thin mints; the only way to eat Girl Scout cookies.

happy valentine's day!

(This is the valentine I sent out this year.)

mega veggie pizza

Who can resist pizza?? It has become a staple for me. Primarily because it typically uses up all my stray ingredients and then provides me a few days of leftovers. In an effort to keep it somewhat healthy, I typically include every veggie I have in my fridge and leave off the sauce. This one sported mozzarella cheese, onion, grape tomatoes, jalapenos, banana peppers and broccoli.

Broccoli has became my new favorite topping.

Left: Before baking  Right: After eating

my 365: week five

I'm a little behind posting my photos. 

1. The Colonial Park Cemetery across the street from my apartment on a foggy morning  2. Vintage bottles in an antique store  3. My mess  4&5. The cemetery, again  6. Playing video games at the movie theater  7. Bundle of flowers

awesome video

What could it possibly be about...TYPE, of course!



The creator (Alessandro Novelli) even showcases the animation's process on his blog.

embroidered iphone case

For Christmas I got my mom the cross stitch case with the promise that I would actually finish it. The 33 x 69 grid was time-consuming but my mom finally got her Christmas present about a week ago.
Here's the finished product.

introverts are underrated

I read the cover story of the most recent TIME Magazine just one day after having a discussion with some fellow design students about the positive and negatives of introvert and extrovert personalities in our field of study. This really resonated with me because back in my undergrad one of my professors was adamant that introverts could not succeed in our industry because of the necessity for self-promotion and constant client interaction. In this class we also took a questionnaire that gauged our societal tenancies and I remember falling smack dap in the range of introvert and feeling momentarily panic-stricken. Was I headed into a career in which I was destined to fail?

However, I quickly recovered and realized that this was not news to me. I've always known that I am more a listener than a talker, that I have my limits with it comes to socializing, and that hiding in the bathroom for a moment to myself (like the author of the TIME article describes) is an experience that I can relate to.

The article hits the nail on the head when it talks of the challenges introverts face in today's world where everything revolves around the loud and the talkative. However, I feel my skills as an introvert are often overlooked. My introvertness is often misinterpreted as shyness, or worse, snobbery, and I get the question "Why are you so quiet?" pretty incessantly. Instead I am watchful, attentive and contemplative and while it took me most of my adult life to come to terms with, these are qualities that I appreciate in myself.

Another point the article focused on was the ability of introverts to fake extrovert-ness in some situations. Prior to reading this I thought my ability to do this just made me a little confused but who would have guessed that this is just one of many ways we introverts adapt to our environment. We can BE extroverts, but only for a short amount of time before we're exhausted and ready to turn our attention back to the good book we left at home.

So what does this mean for my future as a designer? I think it just means that I'll no longer feel guilty for rewarding myself with a night in after a taxing day of charming clients, or when I find myself alone in the kitchen for a moment to myself at dinner parties, or when I bribe myself to talk to a stranger (yes, I've done that).

Image from Toothpaste for Dinner.

365: week four

1. Just outside my apartment during a nasty rainstorm  2. My sewing table turned desk during a stressful week of homework  3. Some pretty shadows in the alley next to my apartment  4. Eric Baker lecture that I attended  5. Laundry day  6. The Presbyterian Church on Hull and Bull Street  7. A cute little walkway that I passed with a 1/2 address which I have a fondness for.