christen [good day sunshine]

the real good day sunshine

2011-01-29T16:34:00.000-08:00

well hi there!
i just recently realized that this blog does not lead anywhere anymore! you can come see me over at the real good day sunshine, where i share things that make me happy.. and things that i think will make you happy too. i'm starting my 5th month of being a real big-girl blogger.

come see, won't you? ;)

the beans have been spilled.

2010-04-22T07:51:00.000-07:00

for about six months, i've been a contributing writer on the blog, indie icing. i write a weekly post (on wednesdays) about some of my favorite handmade goodies.

recently, jessica (the fabulous editor-in-chief) decided to step down from her leading role and focus on her other projects.. including the i heart handmade market and her personal blog, bloomerie. i, for one, didn't want to see indie icing go by the wayside, so i volunteered to step up and take the job! it's a wonderful opportunity for me, and i'm beyond excited to continue what jessica started and grow her amazing blog even more! its grown from around 70 followers when i started writing to almost 300, so i think it's definitely on the right track!

so check me out as the new editor-in-chief over at indie icing (along with my wonderful guest writers, robin and alison), and come see what handmade goodness we find for you every day!

indie icing post 4.16.10

2010-04-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

it's a double-dose of christen over at indie icing this week! no specific theme for today, just a few of my recent etsy favorites! [click the photo to be taken straight to the article.] have a great weekend, everybody!

indie icing post 4.14.10

2010-04-15T08:24:00.000-07:00

if you didn't see it yesterday, please check out my latest post over at indie icing! it's dedicated to my favorite jewelry piece.. the necklace! [click the photo to be taken straight to the article.]

throw out 50 things challenge.

2010-04-12T11:58:00.000-07:00

one of my new favorite blogs, lost and fawned, is taking [and issuing] a challenge to get rid of 50 unnecessary things that are cluttering up her home. lord knows i need to do the same. read lindsey's opening post here, and stay tuned for my own challenge documentation!

long weekend + possibilities.

2010-04-08T09:56:00.000-07:00

sometimes, a long weekend and a little spontaneity is all you need to gain a little perspective and a lot of inner peace.

i love what i do. i make things that make me happy. i make things that make other people happy. but sometimes, i need a break.. and a reality check. i'll be the first to admit that, right now, business isn't great. if every month had continued to be like november and december, i could have made a living off of this. but that's just not the reality of the situation.

granted, i don't pay rent since i live with my parents.. but it would be nice to have a little extra spending money every now and then, which i haven't had the luxury of lately. i'm not one to go splurge the second i make some dough, but i honestly can't even tell you the last time i went shopping.

the reason i love etsy so much is because i don't have to force my products on anyone. anybody that knows me can tell you that i'm just not a salesperson. if you like what i make, buy it. if not, that's okay too.

i've sat back for a long time and just kind of let the sales roll in. i've been lucky with some blog features, front page spots, and etsy finds emails. i'm starting to realize now that i need to be more aggressive. i need to be a salesperson. i need to get my name out there. i need to stop being lazy and complacent. i'm happy with my life, but i want more.

recently, i've been handed an amazing opportunity. i can't reveal it quite yet, since it's not mine to reveal, but i'm beyond excited about it. it's a step in the right direction for the type of business-lady i want to be.

stay tuned, people. i'm just getting started. :)

indie icing post 3.31.10

2010-03-31T11:21:00.000-07:00

it's hipster week over at indie icing, and my guest post for today is all about hipster history! [click the photo to be taken straight to the article.]

festival of flowers.

2010-03-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

every year, mobile has their annual festival of flowers. organizations and businesses from the area come together and display arrangements, sculptures, and demonstrations all about flowers and plants. my grandmother has been participating for as long as i can remember.. and probably before that! i went with her this year to help set up her arrangement and couldn't resist taking photos of some of the amazing creations.

[disclaimer: these photos were taken with my iphone. don't judge.]

one of the organizations made sculptures based on popular children's books. this is the alice in wonderland display.

i was so amazed by these beautiful dresses made completely from flowers and leaves. i would so wear that wedding dress. and the pink one reminds me of something straight out of a disney movie. [you knew i couldn't go a whole blog post without mentioning disney.]

planes, trains, automobiles, & bikes.

2010-03-18T11:35:00.000-07:00

one of my favorite blogs, scoutie girl, is doing a new weekly feature called "we scout wednesdays". tara has asked her readers to share their stories, their experiences, and their items with her via blog or flickr. so this week, i'll be tooting my own horn [pun absolutely intended].

several months ago, i worked on a series of illustrations for my etsy shop. included in those illustrations were a plane, a 57 chevy, and a bike. no train to speak of yet, but i just may have to get working on that.

they're all available in 5x7's, and i see them as perfect decorations for a little boys room, or for someone who loves simple, clean design.

and for good measure, i just love this colorful, abstracted train wheel photograph from fellow etsy seller, yellafish.

ruche.

2010-03-17T10:23:00.000-07:00

i came across this online boutique from an ad on a blog sidebar. [i guess those things really do work, huh?] usually, i'm not inclined to stay and look around for much longer than a few seconds because of extreme sticker shock, but i was happily surprised at ruche's very affordable prices! check them out for yourself. they call themselves "a modern boutique with a vintage touch".

here are a few of my favorite items:

not only do they have great clothes, ruche also features shoes, accessories, and jewelry from other "vintage inspired" vendors. check out this great ring from ollipop!

i did a search to find more ollipop rings, and i'm officially in love. but that's a blog post for another day! happy st. patrick's day everybody!

indie icing post 3.17.10

2010-03-17T08:23:00.000-07:00

i know, i know. it's st. patrick's day. i should be posting about shamrocks and leprechauns and blarney stones and celtic things. nope. today, it's all about the pickles. head on over and you'll see what i mean. [click the image above to be taken straight to the article]

spring scarves.

2010-03-15T16:11:00.000-07:00

last week, i gave you a sneak peek of some new screenprint designs coming soon to my etsy shop. well, wait no longer.. they're here! i just listed the first one, and will be adding more throughout tonight and tomorrow.

take a look and let me know what you think!

[white ginkgo on lavender]

[white ginkgo on baby blue]

[magenta ginkgo on sunshine yellow]

indie icing post 3.10.10

2010-03-10T08:42:00.000-08:00

here it is! my weekly post over at indie icing! let's just skip the april showers and head straight for the may flowers, okay? thanks. [click the photo to be taken straight to the article.]

sneak peek.

2010-03-09T12:47:00.000-08:00

happy tuesday!

just wanted to give y'all a sneak peek of what's coming up in my etsy shop this week! i got some new screens burned and i'll be printing the designs on american apparel tees [chocolate brown] and bright spring-colored jersey scarves [baby blue, sunshine yellow, and lavender].

first up, a retro boombox line drawing. i'm imagining this in bronze ink on the chocolate brown tees.

second, a cute, whimsical sun and clouds repeating pattern. this will probably get printed on the yellow and blue scarves. bronze and white ink, respectively.

and third, another pattern-type design. a little more sophisticated and elegant.. gingko leaves. i haven't quite figured out the colors for this one yet.

so there you have it! a little sneak peek into what this week brings to letterhappy! let me know what you think!

tomorrow's my day to guest post over at indie icing, so look for my feature some time before noon! have a great night, everyone!

bundle of joy.

2010-03-04T14:39:00.000-08:00

disney's animal kingdom has a new family member! meet the newest baby gorilla.. a girl, still yet to be named. i could probably stare at this gorgeous photo forever. seriously.

it honestly amazes me how much animals really are like humans. they think, they reason, they love. read the entire article here.

pier 1. a love story.

2010-03-02T08:41:00.000-08:00

as i mentioned yesterday, i took a little shopping detour over to pier 1 this weekend, and i have never wanted to empty out my checking account so bad. i've always liked browsing around the store, but this time was different. i wanted to buy. and the fact that i'm in the planning stages of turning what once was my playroom/extra storage room into my studio gave me even more reason to look with the intent of actually purchasing.

i wasn't even 10 steps inside the door when i spotted this beauty. awesomely colorful desk chair? i think so.

i made my way to the back of the store where the clearance section is, drooled over a couple of oversized mirrors that i have nowhere to put, and finally saw this guy:

now, if you know me personally.. you're probably saying, "seriously, christen?" heck, you're probably saying that if you don't know me personally. but i stand by my impulse purchase. especially since he was only $10. sitting there on that shelf. all alone. [yeah, i have problems.]

my go-to color palette is usually springy, summery colors. teal, lime green, baby blue. mind you, that chair still has some resemblance to what i love, but it introduces a whole new range of colors that i would never have picked out by myself. red, mustard yellow, darker forest green. then i started realizing that i don't want to limit myself to two or three colors.. not when everything i already love can be mixed with the unexpected!

like i said, teal is one of my favorites. so you can imagine my reaction when i saw this at the other end of the store.

yep. THAT'S what i'm talking about. a girl can never have too many shelves. and it looks like a one-of-a-kind piece when you see it in person. something i can make up a story about, just like rachel did in the one with the apothecary table. [gotta be a FRIENDS lover to get that reference.]

so anyway, that's my pier 1 love story. now if you'd like to donate to the christen-needs-random-and-expensive-pieces-of-furniture fund, please go here. thanks. :)

etsy shop update.

2010-03-01T09:34:00.000-08:00

goodbye february, hello march! i gotta tell you, i'm happy to be moving into a new week, a new month.. another chance at a fresh start!

here's my latest etsy shop update. a fun, springy screenprinted tee from american apparel, and an adorable illustrated easter card:

i've also been brainstorming about what i want my new "studio" to look like. i seriously need to move out of the kitchen. i went to pier 1 this weekend and had to stop myself from buying everything in the store. i thought i had an idea of the colors and patterns i wanted to go with, but they've totally changed now! i did rescue one little decorative piece from the clearance section [marked down from $40 to $10] and i'll show him in my next post, along with a few other items i'm drooling over. til then, have a happy monday and a happy first of march!

hair issues.

2010-02-26T08:52:00.000-08:00

i think i'm in a try-new-things phase. i'm a little bored with my current wardrobe, and mostly with my hair. two years ago at this time, i was in the process of growing it out to cut off and donate to pantene's beautiful lengths program. since then, i've kept it fairly short, but sometimes i just can't figure out what to do with it! loose, beautiful braids seem to be the newest thing and when i have some time (and nowhere to go!), i'm going to do some serious experimenting.

[kinnéidigh garrett]

[kathryn michelle]

desperate for spring.

2010-02-25T08:27:00.000-08:00

this has been one of the longest and coldest winters i think i've ever experienced. global warming? i don't believe it. i'm craving that warmer weather. i want to wear dresses and flip flops again.

i spotted this dress over at bright, bold, & beautiful the other day and couldn't believe it was from american eagle. i stopped shopping there a few years ago because i thought the direction they were going in was a little too young-looking for me. and let's face it.. as a 23 year old who looks like she's 16, i don't need any help in that department! i just may have to give them another chance. this would look perfect with a certain purple cardigan that i already happen to own.

and of course, for good measure.. i have to throw in a certain etsy find that i'm drooling over at the moment. the lovely and talented sabine from lamarquisedesanges creates beautiful embellished tops that i just can't get enough of. this is my favorite of the moment.

yep, now i just need the weather to start matching my mood and we'll be good. come on spring! i know you can do it!

indie icing post 2.24.10

2010-02-25T08:01:00.000-08:00

just wanted to share my latest post over at indie icing! cute, cuddly polar bears! click the photo to be taken straight to the article.

vacation part three.

2010-02-23T12:39:00.000-08:00

part three . disney world
every time i go back, i'm tempted to stay. i lived in orlando and worked at disney world for three months in the fall of 2008. i had just graduated college and was not ready for the real world. so i decided to do the absolute opposite.

a tip for anyone planning a trip to disney world: DO NOT go during president's day week. especially when it also happens to coincide with mardi gras break and the daytona 500.

we did it once before and swore we'd never do it again, but my dad read the calendar wrong this year and before we figured it out, the plane tickets, hotel reservations, and rental car were all booked and paid for. smart, right? so, being the savvy disney world know-it-alls we are, we went anyway. [side note: if i had a dollar for every time i saw someone wearing a saints jersey or a random "who dat" chant broke out, i'd be a rich girl. it was amazing.]

there were a few major things we didn't get to do because the lines were simply too long or the fastpasses were gone by 30 minutes after park opening. but, we've done them before, and inevitably, we'll do them again, so no biggie.

this has probably been one of the coldest winters i've ever experienced here in the south. multiple days in a row where the temperature doesn't get above 50 degrees. [laugh all you want, northerners, but that's not normal down here!] unfortunately, southern florida was no different. but, as i've said.. i love that place. my facebook status from the last night explains it perfectly.

yep, that's right. bring it. and now, my three-part vacation recount is over. back to your regularly scheduled programming.

vacation part two.

2010-02-22T10:44:00.000-08:00

part two . swimming with manatees
i think one of the best feelings in the entire world is crossing off a life goal. i did that last weekend. i have been in love with manatees since the very first time i ever saw one in an aquarium. i've done some research over the years, trying to find the best place to have a swimming encounter with the gentle giants, but never actually committed to it. in december, my dad surprised me by booking an excursion trip in crystal river, florida. i was probably more excited about this part of the trip than anything else. as i mentioned in my last post, it was absolutely freezing, but that wasn't going to stop me!

that morning, we woke up to 37 degree weather with about 5-10 mph winds. we boarded a tiny little boat with our captain, jake, and his son, austin. it was just us.. since no other tourists were crazy enough to brave the cold. we zoomed out to what jake called "the perfect place", stripped down, and donned our wetsuits. he promised we would be warmer in the water than we were on the boat, and i didn't believe him until i actually took the plunge. weirdly enough, he was right! now, don't get me wrong. it wasn't warm.. by any means, but i was fairly comfortable.

we could see them immediately.. these massive grey blobs swimming back and forth, occasionally sticking their adorable little noses up for air. my mom stayed in the boat with jake to help us spot them. it took a while to get one to stop and play, but every single waiting second was worth it. if you can get one that's interested, dive down and rub its belly, it will roll over onto its back and just lay there, letting you pet it. they didn't feel at all like i had imagined. if you've ever pet a dolphin, you know that they feel rubbery and slick. not manatees.. they feel like i would imagine an elephant would.. soft, wrinkly skin. some of the older, slower manatees even have algae growing on their backs.

unfortunately, lacking an underwater camera, we didn't get any great shots of the manatees, but i found oceangrant's flickr stream this morning, and wanted to share. there are some absolutely amazing shots of the gorgeous creatures.

it was a wonderful, beautiful experience, and i am just itching to do it again! maybe next time, i'll be blessed with warmer weather!

vacation part one.

2010-02-21T14:57:00.000-08:00

every year for as long as i can remember, my parents and i have gone on vacation during the week of mardi gras. my dad is the athletic director/varsity girls' softball coach at my former highschool, so he gets the entire week off. those trips are what started my obsession with disney world, and that's usually our destination. this year, we decided to switch it up a little and do a couple more florida-touristy-things. yeah, sure. we ended the trip at the happiest place on earth.. we just can't seem to help it!

part one . sanibel island
two years ago, for my parents' anniversary, my dad took my mom to a place called sanibel island, florida. it's right off the coast of fort myers and it's supposed to have some of the best shells along the gulf coast. we flew into fort myers on thursday morning, drove to sanibel, and stayed for a day and a half. it's a beautiful place.. quaint, really. it's been preserved wonderfully, there are still tons of trees (mostly palms), lots of designated wildlife areas, and cute little houses and businesses. no chains.. just privately owned art galleries, shell shops, and restaurants. there was just one little problem.. it was freezing. you know, when i go to the beach, i expect it to be warm. instead.. we walked around like little eskimos.

but we're troopers. and i managed to get a few cool beach photography shots. enjoy :)

indie icing post 2.19.10

2010-02-20T08:24:00.000-08:00

just wanted to share my latest post over at indie icing. this week, it's raining cats and dogs! click the photo to be taken straight to the article.

indie icing post 2.10.10

2010-02-10T09:06:00.000-08:00

just wanted to share my latest post over at indie icing. i'm so ready for spring, so my picks for today are bright, cheery, and sure to put a smile on your face! click the photo to be taken straight to the article.

raymond. a bit of a badger.

2010-02-09T13:26:00.000-08:00

lately, i've been extremely conservative with my money. mostly because i don't make enough (yet) to go on frequent spending sprees, but also just because i have way too much stuff overflowing in my room and my studio-to-be. i'm currently working, etsying, and blogging from my kitchen. yeah.. that needs to change asap. but then, i found raymond. when i was little, i had a serious obsession with beanie babies.. and stuffed animals in general. so i have a soft spot when it comes to cute cuddly little animals. plus, raymond claims to be a badger, which was my college's mascot. plus plus, he's little and won't take up too much space. he's currently sitting by my computer, content as can be.

yep, he's cute. and i decided that i deserve a little present for myself every now and then! everyeskimo has an adorable collection of cute little creatures available in her etsy shop. she also sells pretty vintage goods. you can also check out her beautiful blog and follow her on twitter.

coming soon!

2010-02-04T09:24:00.000-08:00

just wanted to give a little preview of what's about to debut in my etsy shop! i'm expanding my line, and branching out into wearables! i've already listed an awesome american apparel jersey scarf. it's been printed in an all-over circle paisley design.

[click on the photo to be taken to the listing in my shop!]

and now.. this is what i'm even more excited about. all the supplies are on their way from dharma trading co. i'll be turning this popular print of mine:

into this!

look for it in the shop starting next week! if you'd like to pre-order one, just let me know your size! have a great day, everybody!

indie icing post 2.3.10

2010-02-03T08:38:00.000-08:00

my weekly post over at indie icing is up! today, i featured some of my most recent etsy jewelry picks. click on the photo above to be taken to the article!

mickey is everywhere.

2010-01-31T11:41:00.000-08:00

as you will come to find out (if you're not already aware), i love anything to do with disney. disney world, disneyland, disney movies, the mouse himself.. so i literally freaked out a little when i saw this in my morning fruit juice smoothie.

yep, that's right. a perfect little mickey head. top that, people.

if i had a LOT of money.

2010-01-29T08:53:00.000-08:00

i found this awesome jewelry designer (lsueszabo) on the front page of etsy this morning.. and immediately wished i had at least $300 of expendable income to blow on one of these rings.

one day, my friends.. one day.

life, taxes, and more life.

2010-01-28T14:23:00.000-08:00

my horoscope is so contradictory today.

"you may feel as if you are stuck in a situation and want to break free, whatever the cost. you have spent enough time considering your options; now you are ready for action. forcing change today is not recommended.."

well if i'm so ready for action, don't tell me that today's not the day! good grief.

i just got off the phone with a screen printing supply place in northern alabama. i'm trying to get this new area of my business up and running as soon as possible. a representative from my region is supposed to get back to me with pricing (which is looking a little daunting at the moment) and then i can start ordering supplies and printing! i met with a guy in town yesterday afternoon who is going to expose my screens for me, so for now i won't have to invest in an exposure unit and photo emulsion.

i'm also working on several new designs for my brand new (old) gocco printer. i made one screen and printed it in black in an all-over pattern on a grey jersey scarf. i absolutely love the way it came out and i wore it yesterday. got a compliment on it from a lady in shoe station.. score!

taxes suck. period. i'm through april, and it's looking like i didn't make quite as much money this year as i thought i did. i've been looking more at what i've made, rather than taking out what i've spent. that's a real eye-opener. let's just say that after four months of figuring (jan-april 2009), i'm in the red. not too far in the red, but in the red nonetheless. granted, startup costs are always a killer. this is what i want to do. i love being my own boss and running my own business. but i need to do some serious planning for 2010 and figure out how to make more profit. raising prices isn't really an option i want to explore, but it may be a necessary one.

so, while i've got you here, i'll just go ahead and pimp the new valentine cards in my etsy shop:

and one more.. colorable printables! all you have to do is purchase the listing, and i'll send a PDF that you can print out and color as many times as you want!

i've added icons on the right sidebar, so you can easily find me on facebook, twitter, and flickr! also, if you get a chance, check out indie icing. it's an awesome blog that i write a feature for every wednesday. that's all for now! bye!

detox: mission accomplished

2010-01-18T10:35:00.000-08:00

okay, i'll admit by the end of the third day i was getting pretty darn hungry. but i made it through, and it felt great. i made a promise to myself to not check the scale until i was done with detox and at least a week of good healthy eating. amazingly, i lost FIVE pounds. seriously. and i really didn't think i was eating that unhealthy to begin with. just goes to show what changing a few tiny little habits can do!

whole body action plan

2010-01-07T11:24:00.000-08:00

i have once again been inspired by martha stewart. yep, i'm a nerd.

body + soul magazine has recently put out a whole body action plan consisting of four weeks of detox, healthy eating, and exercise. week 1 is called "purify and assess". there are 4 days of detox to start with, which i think i can handle. my mom and i started yesterday. my dad is out of town, so we're doing this while he's gone. considering there's only one solid meal a day, he would not approve. he's in orlando eating theme park food as a chaperone for a high school sophomore trip. he'll be okay. ;)

day 1:
breakfast: apple, orange, and carrot juice mix fresh from the juicer
lunch: two small pieces of tilapia (sauteed in olive oil, lemon juice, and fish seasoning), black eyed peas left over from new years, green beans (sauteed in olive oil with garlic salt and tony chachere's for seasoning)
dinner: blended leek soup with chicken stock for smoothness

day 2:
breakfast: tomato, cucumber, and spinach gazpacho
lunch: we modified this recipe and substituted pistachios for almonds, brown rice cooked with beef broth, and oven cooked vegetables (green beans, squash, zucchini, and carrots) with olive oil and seasonings
dinner: to be determined

despite only eating one meal a day for the past two days, i haven't really felt hungry. the only thing that's throwing me off a little is having a big meal for lunch and not dinner. once the detox period is over, i'm sure we'll go back to having our main meals at dinner, but the website gives us some great healthy recipes and they're all pretty customizable to fit your likes and dislikes.

things we've learned so far:
cooking with olive oil instead of butter is much healthier and tastes just as great.
low sodium chicken broth or beef broth can be used in soups in place of cream or milk.
season anything how you like it.. spices are not on the no-no list.

it's been great so far.. two more days!

we care.

2009-11-11T10:50:00.000-08:00

funny story. one of my customers sent me an email about a week ago asking if i had an idea as to when her print would arrive. i fished her delivery confirmation slip out of my terribly messy car and tracked it online. it said that it was "in transit".. and had been that way for several days. i advised her to wait a few days and then contact her post office if it didn't get there soon.

fast forward to yesterday. i get this in the mail:

yeahhhh. notice the "fragile" and "do not bend" stamps all over the place. somehow, i think they got overlooked. just sayin. it came in a bag with a disclaimer on the back.. saying things like "we care about your mail, blah blah blah, i hope this does not cause you any inconvenience, blah blah blah". i should have been mad, but it was just so beyond destroyed that it actually cracked me up. i laughed for a really long time about it.

obviously, i popped a new one in the mail for her yesterday afternoon. she was super nice and understanding about the whole situation.

and just in case you care, i am currently jamming out to the lion king soundtrack. yep.

i made it purty.

2009-11-04T10:44:00.000-08:00

i think my problem was not having a pretty blog to post in. i was settling for premade templates and weird backgrounds. so i decided to make it my own. i'm still working on things like twitter/facebook buttons for my sidebar, but i'm pretty darn obsessed with my header. yeah, that's my signature. what what.

i even coded a little. (and no, liz. not in the way that a medical patient codes. this is gonna get confusing. our languages are crossing.)

i figured out how to go into the actual html code and change the size of the columns and header and such. i felt so accomplished. sure, i took a class in web design in college, but for some reason, i didn't retain ANY of it.

in other news: the holiday rush is finally picking up on etsy. i'm working on a few new christmas card designs for the shop. see them below:

i had fun taking the product shots for these. a bright, cheery background and styling for the "holly jolly christmas" card and a more rustic woodlands feel for the "reindeer merry christmas" card.

the weekend before last, my 2010 dog lovers calendar was featured on etsy's weekend deals email/blog post and i sold a whopping 17 of them in 3 days! definitely my best sales weekend to date.

i applied for a spot in the "I ♥ Handmade" holiday showcase and i got in! so, starting november 16, i'll be featured on their website.. a great place to get noticed, especially in this busy gift-buying season!

the lovely aubrey nix over at EasternShoreMom contacted me a few weeks ago about doing a "pregnancy package" giveaway for the grand re-design of her blog. in exchange, she's giving me a month of free advertising for both of my shops. apparently, she gets 2500+ visits a day, so that should be a great way to get seen.

october was my best month in terms of profit so far and i'm already up to 374 sales for the year. that's definitely way beyond my expectations when i started off making a total of $10.27 in january, my opening month.

well, there's my update for now. geez, when i blog.. i blog.

my debut :)

2009-09-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

so, i had my very first art show this past weekend! the nice people at bliss salon and day spa on old shell road found me on etsy and asked me to be a part of it. problem was, i only had three days to prepare for something i've never done before. i was a printing and packaging machine for those three days. my roommates (aka my parents) were a wonderful help. my dad got me the tent, tables, chairs, and a beautiful vinyl sign for my booth. my mom helped me organize everything and kept me going when i thought i just wasn't going to be able to cut another piece of cardstock or hit that print button for the thousandth time. i literally worked right up until the deadline at 6:00 pm on friday. i can honestly say that is probably the most excited i've been in a really long time. liz and danielle were able to be there all night to support me, and although i've told them both, i still don't think they'll ever realize how much that meant.

i met a lot of awesome people, networked a little, and passed out a bunch of business cards. oh yeah, and i sold a few things.. ;)

here are a couple of photos of my booth, all set up and ready to go. i'm ready for another show. bring it on, people.

whoah, i'm blogging.

2009-09-10T16:33:00.000-07:00

amazing, i know.

my birthday is coming up, and i've been thinking about age a lot lately. i'll be 23. that's a nice round number. i like it. 24 might be an issue, but i'll cross that bridge when i get there.

i've finally stopped telling people i'm unemployed. i should be proud of what i do. it's not that i'm not proud, really. it's just that when i say things like, "oh, i sell my art online".. people tend to think automatically of ebay, or just assume that i'm a starving artist. and while i'm far from rich or successful, i'm certainly not starving. here's my new answer: "i run my own graphic design business from home." i'm not lying.. i'm not even stretching the truth. i'm just finally embracing my job.

on that note.. i feel the need to support the etsy community which has so generously given me that job. so, for my birthday (which is in 10 days. i expect presents) i'm asking for all etsy gifts. i plan to do the same for christmas. and i hope you people are ready, cause that's what you're getting too.

alrighty, that's enough for today. i'll leave you with my newest shop addition, a print i like to call, "bring me that horizon".

see ya, kids. love y'all.

insert clever title here

2009-06-18T12:20:00.000-07:00

i've recently discovered the joys of twitter. yes, liz.. i know you've been bugging me about it for months. all hail you.

it's like blogging, only short. my style exactly. seriously, that disney world post was WAY out of character.

through twitter, i've discovered lots of fun people (mostly from etsy), amazing blogs, and even a local job finder. i even follow ryan seacrest and justin timberlake. don't judge me. they're funny.

now, on to real life. i got my long overdue summer haircut today. nothing special, just a trim and a little layering. also, i've gone to the doctor a few times in the past couple of weeks to try and find out what is causing all this blacking out nonsense. the nurse called yesterday to tell me that on top of taking a prescription to raise my blood pressure and iron supplements, he wants me to gain 10 pounds. hah. surely you jest. and right in the midst of swimsuit season? yeah, i'll pass.

summer tv isn't the greatest.. mostly reruns and such. but i highly recommend the following:

wipeout

mental

so you think you can dance

trust me. amazingness ensues.

and because i like sharing.. take a look at this:

his name is edward. not that that would have any influence on me liking him. promise.

things i'm loving 5.30

2009-05-29T10:06:00.000-07:00

i love lots of things. things that i think you should love too. so here they are.

albums:

california liar - coming to terms

coldplay - viva la vida

songs:

ferras - rush

kris allen - heartless (yeah, i'm an american idol nerd)

the veronicas - untouched

etsy stuff:

flying schnauzer shirt by misnopalesart

mo the moose by forestblue

what do you love?

there's a great big beautiful tomorrow..

2009-05-21T07:52:00.000-07:00

i never get tired of disney world. i've been there at least once a year since i was 8, i worked there for three months in the fall of 2008, and i just got back from a week's vacation a few days ago.

i mean, how could you resist this? the sky doesn't even look real.

p.s. it isn't. it's magically created by giant disney smoke puff machines. seriously. don't tell anyone. that's classified.

last year's trip seemed like a disaster waiting to happen for the first 24-48 hours. some highlights:

-a broken arm and a sprained ankle the night before our flight. yes, i tripped over carpet. i shouldn't be unsupervised at any time.

-a 5 hour flight delay.

-a foreign "cab" driver who warned us of the dangers of devils (boys) and exchanging e-mails with them.

-finally checking into the hotel at 3 a.m. only to find out that we were at the very back of the complex. liz's rolling suitcase refused to stay upright for more than five seconds at a time during this journey.

so, needless to say.. we figured this time around just COULDN'T start off any worse. and thankfully, we were right. the car ride (which we decided was a million times better than flying) seemed much shorter than 8 hours, probably due to the fact that we filled it with singing and dancing. disney tunes, *nsync, and backstreet boys. a winning combination fo sho.

i'm realizing that if i go through the entire 7 days of our vacation, this might possibly be the longest blog ever, so i'll hit the highlights.

-seeing some good friends that are still down there working.

-getting a teenie tiny packet of pixie dust when we walked into magic kingdom for the first time.

-riding tower of terror a total of 10 times. (which is a feat in itself considering from the ages of 8-19, i refused to step foot inside that dang deserted elevator)

-riding the aerosmith coaster with the lights on and then getting evacuated off. we were rewarded with fastpasses. for some reason, when i was down there working, we got really excited when the rides stopped. some weird thrill.. who knows.

-jellyrolls. jellyrolls is a dueling piano bar at disney's boardwalk, and if i lived there, i would go every night. i LOVE it.

you can read liz's account of our vacay HERE :)

22 going on 5.

2009-05-07T09:02:00.000-07:00

<-- i will be there in 4 days.

it's been exactly 6 months today since i left working at the happiest place on earth to return to reality. reality loses. by a landslide.