Back to Cool (School)

(Documentation of My First Day)











Yes, it is that lovely time of year: Fall semester.  Summer weather begins to fade, noticed only by a light chill in the air; quite streets and parks from the hours of 7am to 3pm; and the rerouted commute, forced by sluggish, yellow buses and intermittent school zones, lest I desire to spend more time in behind the wheel...

This semester, I consider myself one of the lucky ones: A freaking STUDENT!  Not just one class this Fall, but 3 full art courses are mine for the next few months.  Oh, the learning!  This afternoon, I got started with one, printmaking.  Lino prints, etching, screen printing --fist pump-- are on the docket for the course.  My classmates and I got a lovely tour of the printmaking and woodworking studios, to use as we wish, as well as lengthy, but entertaining anecdotes on the dangers of the materials we'll be using and an almost full reenactment of how to use an eye wash and what may happen if you distractedly attempt to cut something with a guillotine-style paper cutter.  And, somehow, along the way, I ended up as the secretary of print club.  Total nerd, I am, I am.

Home now, with a bowl of cereal for dinner and avoidance of homework at all costs (ie. blogging).  College, I have missed you.

Friday Five

{Friday Five: A sometimes random, sometimes planned assortment of the five most inspiring things of the moment.}

1// Avocado smoothie.  Sounds sort of weird and delicious at the same time.  And that beautiful, frothy green color is tempting me so.

2// Another DIY to add to the list!  Chandelier made with a wire basket, ribbon and wax paper, by Brenna.  The man and I need something like this to class up our dining room...
3//  Illustrator Spencer Nugent always gets me inspired to practice my drawing and drafting with these awesome little, daily sketches.  Get your draw on at IDSketching.com for drawing tutorials, Photoshop videos, materials guides and so much cool rendering you'll want to barf.
4// Fabulous set of rings (and ring design inspiration).  Makes me want to get my nails did and load up my hands with precious metals.
5// I could definitely live here, no problem.  Drool-worthy colors and architecture by Portuguese designer/architect Pedro Gadanho.  More pictures here.

Happy Friday!

DIY Table/Desk

Desk and table by Kate. 

Work in progress by Silvia.

In the mood to make some more table space in your kitchen/dining room/bedroom/studio? Well, look no further, as the blogging deities have bestowed upon us the perfect inspiration to get the job done on the cheap...money-wise and time-wise.  Like what you see, people? (Honestly, how can you not..) Take a look at the how-to and more images of Kate's first and second version and the final, pretty and perfect results of Silvia's cute coffee table.

The company that fabricates these awesome hairpin legs is in MY neck of the woods, give or take a couple of hours.  So, as I feel it is my duty to support local businesses, it only seems right that I get working on this ASAP and order them legs!  I'm thinking something along the lines of an L-shape, for more surface area.  Details to come...

Logo Fun

If you've been reading, as I know millions of you have, you may have noticed the layout and design of this blog changes weekly.  Here's a tiny slice of that that creative, indecisive madness looks like.  Trying to come up with a compelling color scheme, logo, look and over-arching feel for a brand is HARD.

"Big triangles or little triangles?  Mini ones?  How about enormous?  Ok, I love the gigantic ones.  Oh, those won't fit with that font I've painstakingly picked out?  Ok...what about mini triangles?  I could get down with those.  Mini's it is!!  Although, you can't really see any of the detail in those and I want a lot of color.  So those might be out, unless I switch up the font and maybe do a square business card instead of the standard rectangle...." and on and on and on it goes.

My brain might be fried by the end of this session, but I will have a logo dammit!  Is this always how the creative process works?

Nails Did // Geometric+Color

The ladies over at Honesty...WTF are killin' it with the DIYs. I cannot WAIT find a solid, uninterrupted hour this weekend to do this.

Listen Up // Music

And so, here documents my ongoing obsession with Vampire Weekend.

Adrift

How serene and tranquil is this?  I want to hop on that swan boat with my cutie, a glass of wine (whiskey for him), some snacks, a game of scrabble and drift the afternoon away.

You Are So 2D

I saw these pictures and nonchalantly thought:  Ooh, what a cool loft, I could totally live there.  I failed to notice the fact that there are no "real" chairs, tables, sofas, lights...or animals, for that matter.  Cheers to being that distracted by some color.

Now I just want some of those prints to put all over my house. Installation by Hey.

via freshleyblended.

Studio Space Inspiration

I absolutely LOVE working in my studio.  As soon as I step into my own little creation station, all bets are off, and Erica's rules reign.  The weirdness and creativity lets loose and sometimes I have trouble reeling it back in.  Right now I am in the process of organizing the enourmous boxes of beads, fabric, paper, paintbrushes, pencils, glue, glitter, rulers, string and such that I've accumulated over the years.  It's always helpful and inspirational to see how and where others get their creative on.  Here's a shot of the studio of jewelry designer dou, IWAS+WILLBE, a featured seller on the Etsy blog this week.  Major wall envy...

Friday Five

{Friday Five: A sometimes random, sometimes planned assortment of the five most inspiring things of the moment.  I hope I can stick with just picking five...here we go:}

1// Haha yes.  Is it a horse?  Is it a bike?  NAAY, it is a horse-bike.  And  galloping through the city streets on this noble steed would be hilarious.  Horsey, by Eungi Kim, is part of the Seoul Cycle Design Competition.
Via the infinite pattern.

2// WHAT?  It's possible to have one of these IN YOUR LIVING ROOM?  ...Do you ever find yourself scheming on ways to make ridiculous amounts of money so you can do extravagant things like putting a swimming pool in your house?  I do.  Thankfully, that is short lived.  I mean if I had to look at this thing and swim it in and invite friends over and have sweet parties and have my amazing house featured in magazines, I'd probably get bored with it soon...

...So let's just put a little, old pool in the backyard, where they're supposed to be, k?

3// Triangles, repetition and a perfect color combination.  This is the best card you'll never ever give.  By Jewiseha.

4//  This striking light fixture is a DIY made with paper scraps.  *Add to to-do list NOW.*  Via Design Sponge.

 5//  Cornmeal, blueberry muffins.  DELICIOUS (the photos too.)  Go here, get the recipie, make them muffins and mail me one NOW.