old work.

could it be? I have finally started working... oh my how exciting.

designs to be reworked/made into greetings....

























more to come.

"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when their right, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."

the big C.

Its been a rough weekend.

yesterday kyle's mom was diagnosed with breast cancer.

you know even typing that right now it doesn't seem real. i guess it all hasn't really set in for me yet. you always think that someday it could happen to you and you say over and over how lucky you are to have what you do, but when it does finally hit you or a loved one... it just seems so surreal.

You want to say everything's going to be alright, and that we will get through this. but deep down you worry that you could be making an empty promise.

we're entering unknown territory. we have no idea whats to come and how many obstacles she will have to face. and if we are strong enough to help her.

life is full of changes. some good some bad. everything happens for a reason. and as kyle said yesterday god won't give you something you can't handle. so this must be our fate, to live through this and endure something new together.

I just hope i can be there for them the way they need me to.

TAKE NOTE.

this blog may be moving to a new and more exciting undisclosed location :)


stay tuned...

the hunt for

ugh... if only!


(but in this color... i couldn't even find one online!)
one neon green fanny pack.

don't ask.

well if you must... manfriend and i are going skiing this weekend with a group of our college friends. And since that will basically entail 14 immature drunks on a ski hill. i just pictured myself on the slopes sunglasses on, hair blowing in the wind, and the glare of the sun hitting my fanny pack which would of course hold my pint o whiskey (gotta keep warm, plus its liquid courage because im a HUGE baby when it comes to everything) and my chapstick, im sure i could think of other things to put inside it... but right now those seem the most important.

so i went looking last night at a couple of thrift stores, meijer, and target... no dice.
man friend not only got scolded from the 80 year old guy at meijer for looking for something so "outdated and uncool" but even the thrift store folks thought i was crazy... what has the world come to?

so because i knew they would have one i stopped by american apparel and of course there it was in all different colors (except lime green) but it didn't have the flair i was looking for and it was 14 bucks a little pricey for something from the 80s but whatever AA you hipster you... but i bought one anyway although im still on a search for the good kind.

ciao.

research-a-mundo

so for weeks and weeks i've been trying (and somewhat stalking) to get a hold of this lovely local printer from Ann Arbor. She has an adorable little shop called elevated press and so naturally i decided that it would be her who would be my mentor.

problem one - up until yesterday she didn't know who I was
problem two - people with their own businesses tend to be fairly busy which leaves very little time for giving free lessons and advice to wanna be's like me.

BUT. she was wonderful nonetheless.

she invited me to her new studio where she has 3 presses and a gigantor paper cutter, and gave me a brief intro to all that is letterpress. which included her story - she's only been printing for the past couple years and got started when she was doing her own invitations for her wedding a funny little story including the fact that she MADE... yes made her own letterpress out of some crazy scrap metal... talk about an inspiration.

she had a couple great stories... some of which i already new because i've been reading her blog (but i didn't want to tell her that because leading up to this i had already emailed her a gazillion times and thought saying oh yeah i read about that after every story she told me may have been a bit creepy... not to mention rude?)

this is what i want now... how long till christmas?



maybe if im really good manfriend will buy it for me just because ;)

er'rybodys got a dream... whats yo dream?

ok so here goes.

the ...(drum roll please)... NEW AND IMPROVED purpose of this blog issss:
MY NEW STORE!


yes ladies and gentlemen i am finally doing it, and i have created a full proof way of not giving into my normal put it off till tomorrow lifestyle.

The challenge:
Create an entire line of inventory for a stationary shop.

Timeline:
1 year.

Details...
30 designs
10-15 'gift shop' ideas - prototypes made.
all produced, photographed and perfectly placed on that wonderful gem of a site Etsy
annnnd if im lucky maybe acquire a letterpress somewhere in the midst of this (oh wouldn't that be wonderful?)


so what does that mean for you?
well to my one and only reader it means you now get to read about
-trials and tribulations of starting a business
-the journey onward (and hopefully upward)
-inspirations for my work and motivation
-projects (in progress and maybe a few finished ones)
-insights (aka if i mess up something big time... ill let you know how to avoid it in the future)
- maybe some little extras here and there ;)

so buckle your pants and tie your shoes its time to get rolling.

first stop. research.

after a little bubbly of course...

my new home sweet home.

just a little sneak peak at my new humble abode.

i absolutely LURVE it to pieces.

The panel wall looks great with all my antique finds. And although i wasn't too excited about my couches (they were free from a co-worker, and sometimes a girl on a budget just has to deal - free is free) they seemed to have worked out nicely. Plus the are super comfy which is all manfriend needs.

this weeks mission: hang book shelves and paint kitchen wall with chalkboard paint. oh i can't WAIT!


ps. i apologize for the shitty pictures they were taken on my iphone... im still in the process of finding a crafty way of getting a real camera.

2010... pronounced twenty ten.

so after a roller coaster year in 09 my life has finally turned a much needed page.

for the following reasons i am a very happy camper:

1. I have a new job and am now a real life art director. paid and everything :)
2. I have a new apartment all to myself and no longer share a bathroom with my five year old brother and sister... its also a lot closer to Kyle (my lovely manfriend)
3. this blog may now have a purpose

stay tuned...