Series
Categories
Shop Now
My Picks
follow Archives

Monday, April 30, 2012

I'M HERE TODAY...

Happy Monday, everyone! What did you do this weekend?

Ours was extremely laid back, and I ended up eating tons of Texan comfort food, drinking lots of Starbucks, and hibernating. My plans always seem to shift on the weekends that we're home. That's completely okay, though.

Remember this post when you all were so sweet to help me decide which sponsor ad to choose? Well today, you can read a tiny bit about me over at Secondhand Sundays if you'd like. Here's a sneaky peeky:
























































































It was so sweet of Bekuh to let me be on of her sponsors, and it was such a great way to network and find other bloggers. If you're into vintage clothes that are cute and colorful, you should check out her new little shop called the Button Factory. Bekuh herself is cute as a button!! Heh heh. Okay. Done now.

Friday, April 27, 2012

UNTIL MONDAY...




























Have a good one! See ya on Monday!

GLASSES & BANANAS

Helloooo, FRIDAY! I've been waiting for you. Any plans this weekend? There is a big, week-long Fiesta going on in San Antonio, but my guy and I haven't gotten the chance to see what it's all about yet. Apparently tons of people fly into the city just for this, and things are happening every day. I'm hoping we can go downtown tonight to catch the last few days of it, but we'll see.

So, party things aside! I've crafted a new story + illustration just for you. Would you like to see? Okay, then:











































I noticed her at the end of the aisle, peering into the wooden crate filled with the bright colored fruit. She gingerly reached inside, pulling out a bright yellow banana with visible lime green around the top and edges, . Approaching the bunches of yellow bursts, I continued to observe the fruit balanced precariously in her dainty hands. Doubling down, she practically dipped her head into the crate, searching for extra fruit that met her standards.

A woman walked next to her and poked the peel of the banana held in her daughter’s hands.

“Oh baby, that’s not ripe enough. Pick the ones with less green. They’ll taster better for the bread.”

“Mama,” she said, looking up, “this is the way I like it. I like them better when they’re green.”

“Hhmm...okay,” the mother shrugged, with the slightest tinge of a foreign accent in her words.

The girl nodded, agreeing with herself on her choice of fruit. Noticing my expression, she looked over at me, smiling.

“These really are the best,” she grinned, pushing up her large glasses on the bridge of her nose with her index finger in unison with her sentence.

“You should try them like this.”

I didn’t tell her that I too loved my bananas with bits of green on them. I had always preferred them that way, even as a child. Feeling a bit embarrassed for my staring, I blurted out a compliment without trying to sound desperate.

“I like your glasses.”

“Thanks!” she answered. “When I was picking them out, the guy who recommended people glasses didn’t like them. He said, 'Those are a bit...goofy.'" She tilted her head to her right shoulder and bulged her eyes in exaggeration of her impression. "But really, is HE the one who’s going to wear them?”

I giggled. “No, guess not.”

She continued. “Sometimes you come across people that laugh at you for wearing what you like, doing what you want...you know. Used to bother me, but you know what? Who cares! Life is short, and I’m going to wear these glasses because I want to. Love ‘em.”

Her mother beckoned her, holding up a grapefruit and pointing at it with a triumphant smile one her face, eyes wide. She obviously was ready to survey the area for the next best fruit. Looking up, the daughter quickly gave me a half wave before turning around to join her mother. As she walked away, I could see her confidence in the sure steps she took, both in her choice of bananas as well as her glasses.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

UNMENTIONABLES

It's kind of beginning of feel like summer here. I don't know if I should be jumping for joy or sighing because I know when summer really comes, it will. be. FREAKING. HOT. As in, I-think-I'm-going-to-fall-over-on-the-pavement hot.

Anyway, the sunshine is nice, and it's making me feel all bright and colorful. My clothes for night need to get into gear (I need to throw out my ugly, oversized tees I use to sleep in). Wouldn't something like these be super cute for summer??














































































RAWR!! *Insert not-so-sexy hand-pawing motion. If it's not all summery where you are, this could do...




























I'm adding these little babies to a line of lingerie illustrations in my shop soon! I get a bit embarrassed and weirded out when things are too wild, but I think I can muster giving these cards or prints to my friends and husband.

Hope you're feeling bright today!!

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

CAPTURING THE DETAILS

I'm trying to get much better at photography, and it's so helpful to be able to see beautiful shots for inspiration. The other day, I was happy to stumble on photography by two sisters at Perfection Makes Me Yawn. I LOVE the lighting in their photos and their subtle attention to detail. Everything just blends wonderfully.



























































photos

As if I didn't already want an elephant necklace, now I'll have to go on the hunt because these photos told me I need one. I love the positioning and the angles in the photos. I'm oftentimes a straight-on type of person, if that makes any sense (like in the top photo). Now added onto my list of photography goals: experiment with angles.














































































photos

Oh, if only you could see me over here gawking at these details. I guess I need to paint my nails two-toned also! So yeah, I want to be able to drag my big camera around and actually take (good) impromptu photos with it. I always have to use my iPhone for shots that aren't staged / need to be taken QUICKLY. And when I stage photos, it takes me about three hundred years to get the shutter speed and aperture correct, and then I take one million photos to choose about three from. You live and learn, though! It's exciting to think where I'll be with photography in one year from now.

What about you? Are you learning (or plan to learn) something new that excites you?

Monday, April 23, 2012

OVER THE WEEKEND

How was your weekend, loves?
























































































Like I had guessed, this weekend ended up being sunny the entire time. No complaints, though! Guess what we did?? Yes...we did sit around a little bit, but that's beside the point. You see those leaves? Yes...yes! We DID plant a garden, thank you!























































































LOOK at this big boy that we dug up under the soil to prepare for our little garden! And by that, I mean my husband sweating and digging up the rock himself while I played around in the dirt and stopped to take my needed breaks for sweet tea. It was SO BIG that the shovel broke. IN. PIECES. See the size of that thing in relation to my glasses? I'm sorry...I couldn't resist drawing a stupid face once I laid eyes on this photo. Okay, I'm done...after I show you the size in relation to the dog. Okay! NOW I'm finished.











































































After our (I mean my husband's) hard work, we spent a lot of time on the patio eating grilled meat and veggies with rice while staring at our little garden. This better stay alive...

Friday, April 20, 2012

UNTIL MONDAY...








































Well, the weather was joking with me earlier today, and it rained for the tiniest bit. I was so excited for a big, stormy weekend...but you never know. Sunshine is never a bad thing when it's this pretty, though.

Hope you all have a happy weekend!

FAR AWAY

Happy Friday, everyone! Well, I've been a bit late on posting this week, but I hope to get on a better schedule next week. Yesterday I got so flustered and even managed to lose a BIG painting that I was trying to photograph. Hoooow??? Make way! Crazy artist is lost! I spent about half an hour looking for the darn thing and finally found it hanging around outside where I had left it on a chair. My gosh. Later that night, my husband accidentally made me laugh so hard that I was unable to breathe. He was joking around while "working out" to the most ridiculous song in the world, and when he starting his overzealous pushups, he SMASHED his poor forehead on the tile. A huge red bump surfaced on that forehead, complete with the formed crease from the grout line between the tiles. He's just thankful he didn't knock his teeth out...well, me too! I'm sure he'll hate me for letting you know.

ANYWAY, there is one example of our life together. That brings me to the following story. Ahem, now gather!!

This song makes me think of this story, without a doubt.
























































All was still around her, except for the occasional rustle of pages being delicately handled by prospective readers. The rare thumping of footsteps would tread down the long hallway, audible from her spot in the middle the vast, echoing room. She stared at her massive pile of papers; it was work she had undertaken nearly two years prior, work that was in the slow, methodical process of compilation, sometimes interrupted with frenzied explosions of creativity and quick thought documentation. These papers, once structured into a formal document resembling a small book, would mark the end of her vigorous schooling and identify her hard work and struggles.

In complete exhaustion, she slowly rubbed her dreary eyes, then vigorously massaged her tousled hair. She dropped her head on the messy wooden worktable housing her designs and text and left it there for a moment. This is feeling like an absolute eternity, she thought. After dragging both arms up from the cold, metal arms of the wooden chair, she managed to reach the limbs to the table’s smooth surface. She propped both elbows up on the white veneer, wiggling her hands under her chin, then finally lifting her head. After letting out an exaggerated yawn, she blinked, coaxing herself to get back to her work.

She looked up at the skylights on the white tiled ceiling, noticing the sunlight shining down, but then disappearing behind the blanket of clouds. Mesmerized by the fluid movement of the clouds against the strength of the sunshine, she fell deep into the memory that always came back to her during exhaustion or mind wandering. She was taken back once again.

He was standing in her view, squinting in the sunlight. His brown, curly locks glimmered in the sunlight, blowing every which way around his head. She noticed his neck, strong from the years of football and violin playing, his kind lips that never failed to turn upward into a smile while showing his naturally straight, white teeth which never required braces, and his eyes that matched the color, movement, and vibrancy of the ocean behind him. He yelled her name, barely audible against the sound of the wind and the crashing waves, beckoning her to join him in the sand and water. She could not even count the number of times he had made her laugh to the point of tears, the times he had comforted her during what she classified as absolute tragedies.

That time, for instance, when he showed up at her doorstep after she had failed that horrible exam . “It’s totally okay,” he smiled, handing her the Vanilla Bean Frappuchino (he understood her too well, knowing that the frothy drink alone would make her smile). He swiftly moved his other hand from behind his back, revealing the small, fuzzy brown stuffed bear held by his thumb and index finger, accompanied by the card pinched between his ring and pinkie fingers. After handing both to her, she stared at the front of the card. It was a series of three illustrated pictures in a column. In the first image, a dog was sitting alone in the rain, pitifully staring down at the sidewalk. The second picture depicted the sad, wet dog looking over to his right, noticing another dog holding an umbrella, ears perked. And, in the third photo, the dog with the umbrella approached the dog without one, sharing the shelter of the umbrella and ultimately transforming the attitude of the once sad dog. She looked up, teary eyed, not knowing what to say. He just embraced her, as he always did. She felt safe. Loved. He had always made her feel beautiful, strong, intelligent, and worthy of anything.

How in the world could she have left…

She blinked, realizing she was out of her nostalgic trance. Stupid boys, she thought. The ones she had been dating were never like him. They never could be like him. She felt so far away. So far from success…from adventure…from love. Sighing, she picked up her pen to begin her tumultuous work again, oblivious to her future that would be filled with the unexpected: her line of work would be something she had never imagined, she would travel to and live in places she had never dreamed of, and, most importantly, she would share this new life with her first true love.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

A PLAY ON FACES


Remember the middle drawing from this post? This is what I first came up with for a simple digital line drawing, and I thought it would be neat to save the components of the face and then play with different ways to portray the face to create different (but similar) drawings. I think it would be fun to create about 7 or so more illustrations with the same facial structure in different variations and then display them in a long row. I actually have about 4 other lines that use this principle. I'll post those lines sometime to show how they mesh together. This post that has similar lines for wedding dress ideas, and this drawing has variations as well.

If you're interested in the background of my digital drawings, here's what works for me at the moment:

1. I use Photoshop to create my digital line drawings. (These line drawings, on the flip side, are created by hand, and I  erase the background on them for prints. Here's an example of an original line drawing that was later edited to be displayed digitally). If you're interested in learning how to do small things in Photoshop like my "tape" on photos, overlay of text on images, etc., just let me know! I can definitely create some tutorials. I can also give tips on things I WISH I had known when I was first beginning Photoshop if any of you would like to know..such as even knowing how to size your images. I didn't know how to size my freaking images for a good few MONTHS. Kind of made Photoshop extremely difficult. Well, you live and learn, I guess! Oh yeah, and I didn't forget about the "how to draw a face" tutorial. :)

2. I am a little too head over heels for my Intuos tablet. What's awesome about this tablet is that it allows you to control your mouse as if you're just writing with a pen. At first, it was REALLY hard for me to get used to it, and my writing and drawings looked like those of a proud four-year-old. This is the one that I use. I've heard that the Bamboo works well, also.

3. I piddle around and look at nature, fashion, photography, or anything that sparks my interest to get inspired. For the drawings above, I was mostly inspired by thick eyelashes and glassy eyes. It just evolved from there.

Hope you're having the best Thursday so far!

Monday, April 16, 2012

GORGEOUS RINGS

Well, I was planning on posting this before it arrived, but I was beaten to it! Looks what's happily perched on my index finger as of now:


































1, 2, 3

Well, I'd like to have ALL of these, but for now, I'm the owner of #1. Aren't they beautiful, though? These rings are handcrafted by Jen of The Nautical Wheeler. My mouth dropped a little bit when I saw the Druzy rings posted on her blog, and when I saw the metallic little beauty, I broke down and decided it was meant to be. I'm usually not that much of a ring wearer (except for my wedding ring), but these are too pretty to pass up. The Druzy rings are under $40, and my little baby was under $20. Umm...whoa??! I've been in love with her stone necklaces for a good long while, also. That option B is killing me.

If you like the kind of earthy, simplistic style but don't feel like spending 19874973 dollars, get yourself over to her shop! If you don't sprint, I'll probably buy it all before you have the chance to blink. Sorry in advance.

Happy Monday!

OVER THE WEEKEND

How was your weekend? I hope you were able to relax and catch up on things. I had planned on completing so many things this weekend, but this is what happened:









































































1. We actually did lap swim this weekend, but just for a little while on Saturday. I had planned on walking the dog more than once, but that's all we ended up doing. Poor thing. She completely enjoyed it anyway, and I totally thought it would storm. I mean, LOOK at it...it just kind of rolled over us, though.

2. While I was on the walk, I just stared at everything blowing around me. The dog impatiently waited on me.

3. I REALLY stared sometimes. Look at that bark on the palm tree...













































































4. We tried our best to keep on with our healthy eating...

5. But SOMETIMES I need some essentials, otherwise I'll get cranky. No...what do you mean? Geez, it's a non-alcoholic mango smoothie. I was referring to the heavenly topping, of course. :)










































































6. I was sure I'd be adventurous (so did our dog...)

7. ...but then we just got plain lazy.


Anything you'd like to add about your weekend, loves?

Friday, April 13, 2012

UNTIL MONDAY...

What are your plans for the weekend? We've been out of town every weekend of this entire month, so I'm excited to do "home" things, like attempting to start a garden, forcing my husband to watch Sex and the City with me, PAINTING!!, working on some neglected projects that are begging to get finished, and going lap swimming. Yes, we got a punchcard at the pool that five high schools use to train their swim teams! I was a little over-excited (I used to be a swimmer in high school) and accidentally kept cutting my husband off in the middle of his sentences as we were asking the director about lap swimming information. My husband tells me that the average four-year-old asks over 100 questions (or is it that the average fourth grader asks 400 questions?) per day....I'm sure BOTH of those estimates are wrong....and says that I ask more. It's probably true if I didn't even realize I was interrupting him every 2.5 seconds.

I am very excited about this endeavor because I finally have a swimsuit that doesn't fit me like an overstuffed burrito. Yeah, I didn't feel like paying 100 bucks for a suit, so I found a Speedo swimsuit that I decided would work even though it gouged into my shoulders and barely allowed my arms to flail around in the water. Let's say that describing my effort to squeeze it on my body as an ordeal is an understatement. I would like to brag that I found not one, but TWO Nike suits that don't suffocate me, and they we under 20 dollars each. *Insert one million smiley faces.* Yes, I'm done now.

So speaking of a different type of swimming in a much larger body of water...










































Photo taken by Rosa

Doesn't this look dreamy? It was taken by Rosa, my very first blogging friend and confidant. I think I met her when I was around this point, and she was at this point. Her photos drew me in, and I felt an instant connection with her when I realized that she was also a new blogger AND Filipino! The beginning of blogging was hard for me, and I was enthralled to have even three members or any comments at all. I was wondering if I was even talking to anyone and if it was worth the effort share my art, but you all have been so amazing to me, and I really do feel like this is worthwhile. I can't begin to thank you enough for that!

But yes, lovely Rosa was, and still is, such a stronghold to me. She would always read my monstrously long emails, and her encouragement, viewpoints, and wit have pushed me along my little way. Rosa, you're a dear!

Do you remember your first blogging friend? What was your experience?

Make sure to "jump in" this weekend, please!

WING

Are you so happy right now? It's finally Friday, my loves! You know what that means....our weekly story time. Gather!

































She stood in the warm sand, massaging her feet as they sank into the soft grains, squinting in the sunlight and surveying the natural beauty around her. She had never been to the beach before. She breathed in deeply, reflecting on her newfound love for the smell of the sea-salt air. Delicately, she pointed the toes of her right foot and dipped them into the ocean. The water swelled and rushed toward her, covering her legs, almost up to her knees. The breeze swelled in and out just as the water did, and her light hair danced around her. She gazed at the astounding variations of blues and greens before her, rising and falling, sparkling in the sunlight. She closed her eyes, feeling the breeze ripple through her long eyelashes. The breeze pulled downward, and then pushed up again. She lifted both arms and let the power of the wind pick them up. ‘This is what it feels like to fly’ she thought.

Have you ever been to the beach? Better yet, do you remember your very first time there? It was a beautiful, surreal experience for me.

Stay tuned for some incredible beach photography. It's likely to make you WISH you could dip your toes in the ocean!

Monday, April 9, 2012

OVER THE WEEKEND

Did you have a good weekend?
























































































Photos taken by me this weekend on my iPhone

Wednesday kind of forced me to leave for a trip back to my home town earlier than I had expected, but everything worked out. thank goodness. I got to be with my immediate family the entire time, and I know that I'm so lucky to be able to have that. I admire you all that have the courage and endurance to be separated by loved ones with distance.

This was the longest my husband and I have been apart since we were married (pathetic, I know), and it was funny to hear him tell me the tiniest parts of his day. "Danie, I'm about to eat a sandwich....I'm walking the dog...." Ha. Do your husbands / boyfriends / even friends call you like that whenever you're apart longer than usual? The boy completely deep cleaned the entire house and had an extremely fancy dinner ready with candlelight when I got home. I'm not sure how I can top him once a special occasion rolls around (or if I just feel like being nice). Guess I'll order something gourmet and pretend I made it?


































I can't believe I used to think Texas was ugly as a child. Ridiculous...

What did you do this weekend?

Friday, April 6, 2012

INTO THE OCEAN

First of all, I owe you all my apologies for being late on things the last few days. Things have been a bit different this week, and I needed to be places. I'm sure you go through times like these.

Remember this post earlier in the week? The photos inspired me to finally make the effort to paint again. It was such a good feeling to get my fingers full of the thick acrylic once again and remember what it's like to wash the paint out from under my nails. Well, it's a happy annoyance, anyway.

Anyway, I decided to run back to my house where I grew up and finally get some much needed internet that doesn't decide to kick users off every 2.5 seconds, as I think you guys still deserve a story and some art. It is Friday, after all! This time around is a bit different; there are two paintings that are part of one story, and they're abstracts instead of the usual line drawings.

Soooo, you ready? Let's go then. :) OH! And I think of this song when I look at these paintings and think of their story. NOW we're ready!





He had been here before. He recognized the feeling--the gentle ache of sorts that made his body feel weighted and made his mind wander. They all kept telling him things would be fine, that everyone goes through times like these. It was such an annoyance to him. After all, he had so many plans...many of them which he was unaware he had already accomplished. They futilely tried to convey to him how much his efforts and sacrifices meant. The words didn't seem to form, and all they could do was be there with him. That was the point, after all.


None of them knew what to expect of the future, but they would stand by him. He always knew this. Closing his eyes, he imagined the deep swells of the ocean, and the sunlight beaming down on his back. In the distance, he could see the storm brewing. The sunlight was being overtaken by the dark, ominous clouds, and his fears began to close in around him. As he was pulled farther and farther from the sunlight and steady waves, his heart grew heavier. 


He was upon the center of the storm, and the clouds completely covered any glimpse of the sun. He looked up, and a crashing wave was on its way to overtake him. 


He wouldn't do this any longer. He knew the sun was above the dark clouds, and he knew the ocean always turned calm after the storm passed. Looking up, he realized that the wave had diminished back into the fluid tides of the water. He closed his eyes and let the breeze enter his nose and mouth, feeling his lungs fill with the fresh air. He could feel the warmth of the sun caressing his back once again. He opened his eyes, and the water was sparkling. The storm had passed before it had even begun.

Monday, April 2, 2012

OVER THE WEEKEND








































Texas is beginning to feel like its normal self again...as in, it is getting HOT. The dog didn't like the 'sitting in the backseat' situation and spent most of her time sticking her face in the air conditioning.








































The wedding was beautiful, and the reception was ridiculously fun. Yes, we danced like nerds.
























































































And of course, my husband and I couldn't resist stopping by in Fredericksburg (a Texas town with a German feel) for a small dinner date. Live music, breezy sunset weather, good food, German beer, and Spring blossoms makes a girl unable to complain.

Did you have a good weekend?
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...