color couple: pink & olive

I am totally loving the combo of pink and olive right now. I never used to be too into pink but when paired the right way, it can look much less pretty-pretty-princess and more powder room chic. Something about the olive with it makes it feel very Art Nouveau:

Alphonse Mucha, the Czech king of Art Nouveau. I went to the Mucha Museum in Prague

a few years ago, it was completely stunning.

I think a much paler powder pink and orangey salmon pink also looks great. Might be my next obsession for a little while, but it's a combo I haven't explored much so we'll see where it goes.

fight your way through

“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”

— Ira Glass

home is with you

"Home" is an ever-changing place and idea for me—in the last year and a half I've found myself in three different places—and the things that signified "home" for me in each was different. There's always a palpable feeling of relief no matter where you are, of walking in the door, putting your things down, and having your time back to yourself. Especially after a long day at work—BONUS!

What I loved about living in the first-floor of a double was having a yard and a big front porch with an antique bench swing. I had quite the summer of leisure in that house—I was still unemployed at the time—and spent a lot of time on that porch.

My apartment after provided me with a great work area—it had an entire wall of built-in shelves and drawers in pretty classic old-Lakewood fashion. The shelves were able to hold everything, all of my books, papers, envelopes, supplies, photos, it was pretty insane. The setup allowed me to have my desk right there, surrounded by the shelves, and I could just focus and have everything at my disposal.

I love so much about my current place I don't really know where to start, but my favorite thing about it has got to be coming home in the summer, sitting on my balcony and cracking open a beer. I can look down at everyone who's still on their commute home and (literally) put my feet up (suckas!)

I like being in a busier area. There's lots of people (and dogs!) to watch going by, and almost everything is a short walk away. It's also easier to be spontaneous when going places doesn't require any planning or effort. There were many times last summer where we'd be on a random bike ride and just pop into a place we'd never been to, because we smelled the food from outside, or because it started pouring (def got stuck once in a bar for hours waiting out a downpour). As peaceful as it is to be in the quiet sometimes, it's always made me unsettled. Open spaces creep me out. The country creeps me out (I think I owe this to Texas Chainsaw Massacre).

Of course, the only true thing that makes "home" what it is is who you're surrounded by. Hence, the little piece I just did. And no, it has nothing to do with the Edward Sharpe song that I could really do without hearing anymore.

What's your favorite thing about being home?

sweet honey pie

I love Valentine's Day and it's right around the corner. It's not the actual day that I love, so much, but the colors, the hearts, the CANDY (duh) and giving of notes and cards to friends. My mom always sends me treats, I send them to my sister, and I always make something for myself and my main squeeze :) I'm getting cavities just thinking about it.

I'm also making some new pieces for a special Valentine's event with Room Service, Salty Not Sweet, and Bazaar Bizarre, coming in February. I will post the exact dates and times once they are finalized. The above piece is also available in my shop for $12, ready to give or frame.

enceladus

will be waiting patiently till (if) he comes to cleveland...!