Kate's Kreative Space

Lensbaby Results:

2012-02-17T21:20:00.000-05:00

After playing with this lens for a bit I decided its quirky focusing was not something I was willing to apply to my usual food photos so I choose to shoot single stems from an inexpensive flower bouquet. I was glad to have less pressure about making the focus and the overall photo an exact preconceived idea while I was experimenting with the lens.

After bringing in the floral prints to class critique and finding out we were supposed to continue shooting the same ideas I decided I needed to step up and make this lens work for me with subjects I normally shoot...so, food:

I liked the unusual focus I got with this lens and my food so I think I will be checking them out more frequently, and maybe even checking ebay for one to call my own.

My life:

2012-01-27T16:26:00.001-05:00

This picture sums it up at the moment:

...film, film, film, amazon, and more film! I'll be happy to see developed negatives soon and hopefully prints shortly after that. Now off to shoot the first chunk of this pile-o-film!

Taking Advantage.

2012-01-26T03:00:00.000-05:00

Of the schools equipment room that is! As students we have access to a large library of equipment thats free to use and its been soooo fun trying out new things. One item Ive been playing with is the lensbaby:

{It even looks crazy from the outside!}

It creates such unusual focus and its added an interesting twist to a few projects lately. I will be back to share photos from the shoots using this lens soon!

This is why its called ART school...

2012-01-25T22:47:00.000-05:00

...not photo school. This week has been full of paint, color, and more paint!

Just have to remind myself to tie in all these lessons and apply them to my photos. Guess thats an advantage of being a junior in these foundation classes.

Im coming back.

2012-01-19T22:35:00.000-05:00

Its been such a long time since I've been in this space! I thought I would be able to keep up with the new school and still have time for blogging but man I was soooo wrong. Luckily, the first day of a new class a professor gave us the following article to read. Something in this article reminded me of the very beginning of this blog and how much I enjoyed taking (simple) note of the things I found lovely in my everyday routine. Now that we've moved and things have settled Im hoping to get back to regular blogging. So to start off the new year and a new chapter of blogging I want to share this article. Its short and simple but it made me stop and reevaluate in a good way. Check it:

Perception & Joshua Bell

J.R. Ransom

The Situation: In Washington, DC, at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.

About 4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

At 6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

At 10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.

At 45 minutes: The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

After 1 hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:

In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
If so, do we stop to appreciate it?
Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:   If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.

How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?

Rolled Fabric Flowers

2011-08-17T03:00:00.000-04:00

The rolled fabric flower wave isn't anything new and its been all over the crafty blog world for some time but I'm just now joining in and its been so fun and addictive! I started with the scraps from my skirt project earlier this week and used this tutorial to make these:

Once I saw how the sizes looked together I decided I wanted to make a necklace with the flowers and some leftover chain I had from recent jewelry projects. I started by arranging the flowers where I liked them, tracing the general shape, using the tracing as a pattern to cut a piece of felt for the backing:

...attaching the flowers to the felt with hot glue, trimming the felt, and then sewing the chain and clasps to both sides:

I made the chain long enough to wear just over a shirt neckline but obviously the chain & clasp makes it adjustable so I can wear it any length I need. This project was mindless work but enjoyable and easy to finish in a short time. Plus its cleaning out my scrap stash which is an awesome bonus!

Simple Jewelry.

2011-08-16T03:00:00.000-04:00

I've had a tin full of different charms and "recyclable jewelry parts" in my beading box that have just needed to be hung simply on chain or cording and I finally got around to them this weekend. I bought a bunch of cheap chains at Michael's and hung the charms with jump rings.

These came out of my scrapbook supply stash but I think they work even better as jewelry:

I also found a waxed cord & clasp kit in brown which I loved because I want to make a few pieces like these and these that wont cost me an arm and a leg and I think I can fake it with this kit. Here are a few simple pieces I started out with:

I love the clasps on these because they are SOOOO easy and cheap. You just cut your cord, add a dab of glue(for extra strength), and fold! I think the kit came with 6 and 8 yard pieces of cording, 10 crimps, and 5 clasps for $3. Seriously, cant beat that.

I'm going to be experimenting with something similar to this today so hopefully I will be back tomorrow with a pretty piece to share♥

New Skirts & Dresses

2011-08-15T10:20:00.000-04:00

Yesterday it was pouring rain outside so it felt like the perfect day to dive into some sewing projects. I had found this tutorial through Pinterest and happened to have some plain tanks and fabric that matched so I gave it a go:

The dress came out just fine and and the project was super quick! With a few accessories the outfit looked quite polished:

I originally wanted to make a second dress like the first using the following tank and knit fabric but I decided to just make it a high waisted skirt so that I could change it up as needed:

{plain skirt and tank}

{with belt}

{With long sleeves, belt, and boots for fall}

I also decided to make a simple A-line skirt from a 70s simplicity pattern I have had stashed a way for some time since I was already on a roll I figured I had better take advantage of the crafty momentum ;D

This skirt pattern was super easy and only uses 3 pattern pieces so I have a feeling it will be making several more appearances.

Completely OBSESSED!

2011-08-14T03:00:00.000-04:00

With Pinterest that is! I finally jumped on the banwagon and set up an account and I have been getting lost there daily:

Im in love. Check it.

Even more pages:

2011-08-13T21:16:00.000-04:00

{And note to self and any readers: I've made a promise to myself to use a real camera for the next batch of photos that make their way onto this blog... enough with the camera phone Kate!}

New Pages

2011-08-05T22:16:00.000-04:00

Trying to get the rest of 2005 in an album before school starts. Its a big project but I figure I should set my project goals high and keep myself busy while I have this last little bit of free time. More pages to come soon!

I moved on to paper arts

2011-08-04T09:56:00.000-04:00

Snapfish had a sale (200 prints for $2) a few weeks ago and I have had a stack of photos sitting on my desk just waiting to be put into albums and yesterday I finally cracked into them:

...and even more beading!

2011-07-28T21:18:00.001-04:00

Somewhere along the lines I became completely obsessed with these wrapped loops:

... and then recycled 2 charms from old jewelry I never wear to add to the loop/bead chains:

So now that the jewelry box has been restocked with pretty things the beading supplies are being packed up and put back into the closet. I think the sewing machine is the next thing to make an appearance in the studio so I'm off to find some decent dress patterns in my overstocked stash.

Its been all beads

2011-07-26T11:15:00.000-04:00

Ive been on a mission to craft with supplies I already have here and I've been on a bead kick for the last couple of days:

I've started simple and now I'm trying to perfect my wrapped loops (thanks to this tutorial) to replicate a few pieces out of my favorite online catalog♥

Been beading...

2011-07-24T22:55:00.001-04:00

Trying to switch it up a bit and the old bead box in the back of the closet seemed to jump out at me! Hope to be back with a few finished pieces to share soon♥

Studio studio...

2011-07-17T23:01:00.000-04:00

{p h o t o}

I have been traveling and playing hostess for almost a month now. I LOVE playing hostess and I have loved all our visitors, events, and busyness but I am now missing my studio. Im missing all the creativity, projects, and freedom that comes from this space. Im missing the release, the excitement, and the expression that comes from creating in general.

Hoping to reclaim my space again soon and in turn have post worthy creative things to share here. Until then I will just keep letting my project to-do list grow and grow from all the inspiration via the fabulous crafty blog world. Happy Sunday.

Painting Process #3

2011-06-11T03:00:00.000-04:00

Painting Process #2

2011-06-10T03:00:00.000-04:00

Painting Process

2011-06-09T23:14:00.000-04:00

While working on a few commissions recently I thought I would document "my process". I generally change things so many times before I consider something complete and I thought it might be interesting to share what normally never gets seen by anyone but the painter:

Finger Puppets with Max

2011-06-02T03:00:00.000-04:00

Lately I've been helping out one of Quincy's shipmates by doing a little babysitting and its been an interesting opportunity to go way back to some of the creative things I loved as a kid. We have done lots of scribbling, wobbly paper cutting, and (most recently) finger puppet building. Its been fun to create like a kid as well as watch the speedy and uninhibited creativity of a 4 year old. Crazy. Now to find more kids projects for our next date!

He's not a lapdog, he's a craft-dog!

2011-06-01T23:14:00.000-04:00

While stitching more yo-yos for this never ending project I realized how nice it is to have this little craft buddy♥

Working outside my 'typical'

2011-05-26T03:00:00.000-04:00

This week I accepted 3 commissions and one of which is supposed to reflect a 'country shabby chic' style. I haven't done much(if anything) that I would really consider to be country shabby chic so its been fun and interesting to try and push myself to mix what is typical of this style with some of my own style. It will be a good artistic challenge and I've enjoyed it so far. So I'm just wondering what have you done lately that's been out or character or typical style?

And as promised, a few more pages from the sketch book:

Honest observations

2011-05-26T00:29:00.000-04:00

Sat down to work on more art journal and sketch pages and saw this:

This is me. Its simple, adaptable, and unpretentious. I don't care that I'm using cheap acrylics off a paper plate and washing my brushes in a waxed McDonalds cup. I just don't. I hope I never do. Its not important and I hate that people ever believe there are rules to how things must be created because I never will. (Sorry, didn't mean to jump on the soap box there!)I'll be back soon to share some of the pages from this humble mess!

Todays sketch book pages:

2011-05-24T21:24:00.001-04:00

Flexing my creative muscles.

2011-05-23T16:10:00.000-04:00

Well I have officially decided to be a University of the Arts student starting this fall. This is a really exciting new chapter for me but its also a bit intimidating. I will have to complete all of their "foundation" classes (which most people do their freshman year) which are supposed to instill a formal artistic foundation and they include drawing, painting, 2 & 3D design, and studies in Time & Motion. Thats great. But, when thinking about going into these classrooms as a photo major and having to draw and/or paint next to a fine art major I get the deer-in-the-head-lights glaze over and I find myself saying "Ooooooh crap". So in an effort to get myself back to a comfortable place within my OWN drawing/painting style I have been getting lost daily in my sketch books:

There hasn't been any groundbreaking action or crazy skill developing but I just feel the need to start flexing my creative muscles a bit before I start this whole new chapter. I don't expect to be comfortable but I also don't want to be terrified... so in an effort to avoid the creative kill that could possibly be I'll be starting a new "creative training" of my own for the summer. I don't know what exactly that will look like or consist of but I'm excited and I promise to share as I go.

Painting Projects.

2011-05-12T12:24:00.000-04:00

Its been a while since I have really tackled any large projects because we have been so focused on getting the house situated but luckily that has included a few projects too. One of these projects was painting our bedroom. Literally every wall in our house was white and it was really giving off the hospital vibe so we were eager to jazz it up! We found these Moroccan tile mirrors at target and that kind of spurred the whole idea:

We also new we wanted some exciting colors but decided that doing just one wall would be enough since we decided on such a strong color. So we used the mirrors as templates and created the pattern as an extension of our headboard:

We also added another tile pattern on the opposite wall with the mirrors which helps even everything out.

Its not the most complicated or inspiring project Ive posted here but I still thought it was worth a share... plus this lil' blog needs to get back to regular posting!

The Bootcamp Book

2011-04-14T11:53:00.000-04:00

Its been a LONG time since I did any real "scrapbooking" and its been staring me in the face ever since we set up the new studio/office(tour coming soon). So in an attempt to ease myself back into anything creative with paper I decided to tackle the "Bootcamp Book". While Q was at bootcamp he was only allowed to communicate by snail-mail. So over the course of 8 weeks he accumulated a lot of mail from family and friends and we got a handful of letters from him too. I knew I wanted to keep them since they were so special to both of us but I didn't want them to end up sitting in some shoe box in the back of some closet. That being said, I also knew I wasn't going to create a "traditional scrapbook page" for every single letter. So I came up with something in between:

I organized all the letters into 3 sections and created decorative pages for the dividers:

{Intro page for letters he wrote home}

{Intro page for letters everyone wrote to him}

{and I still need another intro page for the section with my letters to him}

It felt good to have organized, created, and completed something all in one shot and its spurred the urge to get some more pages going again(finally!).

Contrast in house.

2011-04-02T13:22:00.000-04:00

Put up a new quote last night and I had to laugh about the serious contrast between the goals in our house right now: Art School & AST A-School.

And they are up!

2011-03-21T20:36:00.000-04:00

All the photos from the past few shoots have finally made their way onto my online portfolio! I have been getting ready for a portfolio review(for admissions) and it feels good to have new work that I'm excited about.

Now the interview is a whole other story... guess you could say I'm less than "excited" about that but they go hand in hand so it's time to find a non-suit power suit and walk into that interview knowing I can be a top notch student there by the end of the convo(easier said than done right?!).

... so wish me luck!

We finally found the good light in this house!

2011-03-09T21:07:00.001-05:00

Too bad its right in the teeny tiny entry way and blocks the front door! Guess our back door will become our new front door ;) Now back to editing.

New portfolio material

2011-03-03T15:51:00.000-05:00

Ive been working on new material for my portfolio and Im completely inspired by this new place! I love living on the bay, seeing the picturesque docks, boats, and fishermen, and having this awesome fish-market only a few blocks away!

Yesterday I made this recipe from Food & Wine magazine for a shoot and I felt so very(and officially) "east coast"while I was working. ;) Posts coming later with a full portfolio update.

Been in Philadelphia!

2011-03-03T09:45:00.000-05:00

I know I have been completely MIA around here but I promise its for a

legit reason this time! ;) I have actually been completely consumed by picking and applying for art school! The two schools I have been really considering are both in Philadelphia which is only about an hour commute from our new home. The two Ive been deciding between are:

The Art Institute:

And The University of Arts:

Both are great schools and had a lot to offer students but the "feel" of each school was completely different from the other. Luckily Quincy was able to go with me on the tours which was helpful since its almost always what I want to talk about now ;) Ive started the application process and now I'm waiting with fingers crossed to hear back which will hopefully happen soon! Very soon!

San Francisco Highlights:

2010-10-26T14:28:00.000-04:00

Dinner at Tyler Florence's Wayfare Tavern:

Hands down the BEST meal we have ever had!

A morning at the Ferry Building:

Finally making it into Chris Cosentino's Boccalone!

Cheese tasting at Cowgirl Creamery:

Packing a picnic and finally finding Acme Bread again:

(The only place in town that sold it burnt down. Such a bummer!)

Finding a picnic spot that overlooked the CG station in Alameda:

Which made Q this happy:

It was an awesome trip and the perfect way to spend some of our last time together. So glad we had this opportunity and so thankful I have a spontaneous, adventurous, foodie husband!

Tomorrow...

2010-10-25T01:25:00.000-04:00

{phone pic from today in Coronado}

... things will change.

... the wait will be over.

... things will be official.

... we'll be brimming with pride.

... will be our last day together.

... will be full of tears both happy & sad.

... will be full of smiles.

... will be time for celebratory sushi.

... will be full of honest joy & happiness.

... will be the the beginning of a new chapter.

Tomorrow Quincy joins the US Coast Guard.

The Perfect Camera Bag

2010-08-27T22:09:00.000-04:00

I have been on a serious search for the perfect camera bag for some time now. I want a bag that will fit my dslr and maybe an extra lens and I would like the bag to be able to double as a purse/tote. I like having my camera with me but I don't always like carrying around a purse plus an ugly camera bag... so, like I said before I have been on a search!

Originally I wanted to just buy one and take the easy way out and as much as I love these, these, these, and these the price tags are steep and there still isn't one that 'has it all'. If I had found one that met ALL my requirements then maybe Id consider finding a way to weasel one into my class 'supply list' ...but no such luck! Each one leaves me wanting just a lil' something thing more.

So, now I have decided its just going to have to be a handmade and custom item. And that's fine. So far I'm liking this bags style:

...this bags zipper and pockets:

...and this bags padding:

I have some brown wool/poly tweed in my stash that I got on sale (hello $10 fabric for only $5!) that came to mind after I saw these awesome bags:

Its a brown and cream tweed so all that's left to do is find some brown leather hardware and strapping and I should be ready to whip this baby up... right? Right! Its only a mix of 2 patterns, one tutorial, and one dream bag. Oh, its always so much easier said(and sketched) than done! Now wish me luck!

The first of many fall projects!

2010-08-27T00:08:00.000-04:00

And the small black tulle ruffle is my favorite part! I think this detail will be showing up more and more in my future fall projects.

So, how early is too early to put these babies out? Is September really pushing? Do I have to wait till October? ...well, I kinda know the answer to that question so maybe I need to make some generic 'fall' themed ones to hold me over till October! Time to dig into the 'fabric cellar'... I think there is some cute fall supplies that are well seasoned by now! ;D

Been sewing with:

2010-08-25T21:49:00.000-04:00

Alexander Henry's Halloween collection (both this year and last!). I love this collection and I have place mats, garlands, table runners, and hutch panels in the works using the above supplies. I'm really loving the combo of the fabric, black tulle, and orange velvet ribbon right now. I'm also enjoying the challenge of using up supplies from my stash versus buying new supplies(no need to buy when my office could be a craft/fabric store at this point!). Pictures of finished projects coming soon!

Bringing a smile to my face:

2010-08-25T02:09:00.000-04:00

:: Peppermint tea... and lots of it lately!

{photo}

:: This website! Ive been building a new portfolio site there and the tools, layout, and price(free!) are awesome! Hoping to launch my new site very soon but in the mean time sneak a peak here.

{photo}

:: 120 film was listed on this semesters syllabis... glad to have an excuse to pull out the duaflex again and buy 'out-of-this-student's-budget' film.

{photo}

:: Fall is right around the corner and its my most favorite FAVORITE favorite season! I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself! I have actually already started fall craft/sewing projects... I just couldn't help myself!

{photo}

Its ALL About The Light

2010-08-17T03:58:00.001-04:00

Sometimes, if you are patient enough you get the most beautiful light:

and when you get this kind of light mixed with these clouds...

you generally get this kind of smile:

And thats why we wait for the 'good light'!

Been On A Sweets Kick:

2010-08-05T13:58:00.000-04:00

First it was the chocolate chip oatmeal cookies:

And then it was the pear upside-down ginger bread cake:

It must be something in the water because I'm not normally a sweets person! In other news, I decided to move my 365 project to my flickr account. The link here on the blog will still take you to the updated collection(but no more twitpic pages... they were just too limiting... and I like my options!). Happy Thursday!

Good News!

2010-07-27T02:21:00.000-04:00

Finally updated my 365 project!

In Case You Haven't Met Them:

2010-07-20T23:06:00.000-04:00

This past weekend my family got together to watch and celebrate my cousin stella's baptism. She was SooOOOoooOOOoo cute!

While I was going over the pictures I realized they really sum up a lot about my family. So, if you've never met them heres what you need to know:

1.We absolutely LOVE one another! No matter what. Period.

{Stella & her new God-Parents}

2. We LOVE to celebrate! And it seems we believe the more the merrier!

{No, this isnt everyone! Not even close!}

3. We try not to take ourselves too serious!

{Yes, she has her face in a cake that says 'God bless Stella'... but hey it was her cake!}

4. We dont mess around when it comes to food. We love to eat and we eat well. EVERYONE in our family cooks and this weekend you could find 3 generations happily working side by side in the kitchen!

{Uncle Mark grilling up the Carne Asada}

{Carne Asada tacos, mango salsa, guacamole, and whole pintos}

5. We love to dance! Everyone from great grandmas to the toddlers dance and we aren't shy! We will dance till the music stops playing and we love everything from mariachis to disco to Mr. C's 'cha cha slide'!

{teaching Sara how to Corrido to grandmas mariachis}

{Mr. C says 'everybody clap your hands!'}

{Mr. C says 'how low can you go?'... low! And yes that is me in the back bustin a move with my cousins!}

So thats us.

This weekend was great and I cant explain how happy I am to have taken 300+ pictures to remember it all forever!

Is it true? If you’re not growing, you’re dying?

2010-07-12T15:25:00.000-04:00

I recently came across an article online that had the quote: 'If you're not growing, you're dying' applied to portfolios and artists. Ive heard the quote used in relation to retail, websites, and general business but never about art. Honestly, I was a little taken back at first (having just come out of a creative rut!) but then I realized it was true. Particularly as a photographer.

Its true. And there was no getting around it once I read it.

And maybe its because its summer and I'm not getting loads of class assignments but I'm feeling the need to find a challenge, an assignment, a project ASAP... something to keep growing! So I started searching the wonderfully endless web and found a few projects that I thought were exceptional:

1. Still life with challenge:

2. The sketchbook project:

3. The photo challenge 2010:

I'm still not entirely sure which ones I will do and at what capacity but for now I'm enjoying the excitement of something new.

Happy Independence Day!

2010-07-04T11:26:00.001-04:00

Hope you have a wonderful day celebrating everything red, white, & blue!

{photo source}

My 365 Project

2010-07-01T23:54:00.000-04:00

After a week of food, photos, and tweets I feel like this project is a go. I have loved the challenge and I feel like I could grow substantially if I just push myself to do this EVERYDAY.

I know I need to build my portfolio every chance I get and I would hope that within the 365 pictures that are supposed to come out of this project a few of them will be able to make their way into that file!

Cheers to a new month, a new project, and a bunch of new (and delish) food!

How many does it take you?

2010-06-30T02:54:00.000-04:00

How many pictures that is. How many do we have to take to get just ONE we both like?

Lets see:

Its silly really, its just one of those "arm straight out as far as you can reach cause no one else is around to take it for you" photos in a parking lot! But then again I love that we are both "particular" about our photos. ;)

A New Project

2010-06-27T18:01:00.000-04:00

After a few weeks away from the computer and camera I decided a challenge or project was absolutely necessary to jump start a new creative season. I have started a 365 project (as they are just so popular at the moment!) of food photos. I will try my best to take at least one food related photo a day and then I'll be posting them here. Ive also put a permanent link in my sidebar so people can keep up or check it out whenever they like. Its going to be a new week, season, and project and I'm super excited! Its a good Sunday.

Where Ive Been & Where I'm Going:

2010-06-10T02:22:00.000-04:00

Looking back at the dates of my most "recent" posts and there is no denying I have been a little M.I.A. in this space lately. Honestly this time of the year is always a little "off"(for lack of a better word) and I find myself in a bit of a rut. Every creative being out there slips in and out of them and its all part of the artists' cycle so it comes with no surprise. I have bookmarked a post over on Ali Edwards' blog (about getting out of a creative rut) which I always go back to time and time again. This time as I read it I felt like the following chunk of words was jumping out at me:

"Here are some of my favorite ways to get back in the groove again:

1. DO NOTHING. Yep. Ignore that thing that you normally love all together. If you have a scrapbook room, shut the door and give yourself permission to take a day, a week, a month off. No guilt. No pressure. No worries that you will never feel "it" again. You will. It will come back."

... which basically sums up the last couple of weeks! I think it was the closed door part that really got me because I have avoided my office, studio, and computer like the plague... which has never happened before! And it has thrown me for a loop because I feel guilty for not being in that space.... but like she said: NO GUILT!

So I am officially letting myself off the hook. Q and I are heading out for a camping/fishing trip in about a week and I'm thinking its perfect timing. Just what I need to be:

a super cute mini sesh!

2010-05-26T01:00:00.000-04:00

This weekend I took some pictures for my cousin and her boyfriend before they went out to Sr. Ball. It was so sweet and easy taking pictures of these two! They are so in love, they looked amazing, they were going out for a fun night so their excitement was contagious, and they couldn't stop smiling at each other...

a photographers dream right!?

I posted a bunch in my flickr stream but I thought Id also share a few favorites here:

Hope they love them as much as I do!

He's a good uncle!

2010-05-18T23:28:00.001-04:00

This last week Q and I babysat the twins and I got the funniest/sweetest pictures of him and Wendy:

{I call this trout mouth... it happens when there is intense concentration happening}

{Q says: shes good a "spamming" (W.O.W term) but I think she was just stoked to press some buttons}

{totally content hanging with the nerdy uncle}

{Q: Hey you're pretty good!}

Being auntie and uncle can be so fun!

Cinco De Mayo

2010-05-12T02:19:00.000-04:00

I know its been almost a whole week since Cinco De Mayo but I wanted to share the pictures and the recipes from this fun night! We had over a few couples for dinner and some games and it turned out to be a really fun night!

{even zippy felt festive!}

{Claire helping with taco shells!}

{new friends & old friends!}

I made my table-scape with dollar store goblets, grains, and faux hibiscus. I also made the linens with fabric from my stash that I tore vs. sewing and it totally went with the rustic vibe I was putting out!

...and speaking of putting out a party vibe, I created a flamenco station on Pandora and it was perfect! Gone are the days of spending hours putting together specific party mixes! I'm starting to like Pandora more and more while I'm entertaining!

And on a serious note: we tried Dr. Swami & Bone Daddy's Top Shelf Margarita Mix for the first time and its AWE.SOME. ;) Seriously. Its made with all real stuff (no artificial flavors) and you can taste the delicious difference! Next time you are making a pitcher I highly recommend you start with this mix!

We also made a Jicama Salad with Red Chile and Lime, La Super-Rica Pinto Beans, and Pulled-Pork Tacos for dinner which everyone seemed to really enjoy.

It was so nice to entertain again! I noticed as I was setting my table, putting the finishing touches on the dinner, and queuing up the flamenco that there is something relaxing, satisfying and creatively fulfilling about entertaining for me. I simply love it. I cant wait for this summer, I have a feeling there will be lots of parties to be planned, cooked for, decorated, and enjoyed!

Dreaming about pretty light...

2010-04-27T15:38:00.000-04:00

Being that my entire kitchen is black, grey, and stone (which does zip, zilch, zero, na-da, and nothin for photo lighting) I have been off in dream land... beautiful-kitchen-light-dream-land to be exact. So I thought Id share the gorgeous-ness Ive been lusting after as of late:

{source for all above pics}

{source}

A different kind of sewing.

2010-04-15T02:12:00.000-04:00

Tonight I helped my friend Joe sew his sniper ghillie suit. Joe is a marine and Joe is like a brother to me. So of course I felt like: "if hes going to be in a position where he needs a sniper ghillie suit I want him to have the best suit possible!"

So we worked for about 4.5 hours just sewing on the HEAVY DUTY canvas to the front of his "cammies". Joe said the military gives them a tube of glue and says make it work but we took the suit to a whole other level! We actually sewed it with 10LB test fishing line instead of thread (and it took about 45min to figure out the machine tension for that one... ya not so typical!).

{guess you know your sewing with a marine when your table looks like this!}

Now the suit just needs netting for the back and a bunch of shredded burlap to tie onto the netting.

I have to admit that when Joe first came into the fabric shop where I work to pick up the supplies I got a HUGE lump in my throat! Couldn't figure it out at the time but I guess helping him made me think about my brother. I know he wanted to join the marines and if he had it might of been his suit I was helping with. Its interesting, you never really know when some off the wall thing is going to make you think about those people you hold dear in your heart and how much you miss them but then right out of the blue you get sidelined by something random and you are reminded that wound is still there and it can hurt just as bad as the day it first happened. I had been thinking about Joe and this dang suit since he came in last week and when he called to ask if Id help sew it I felt pretty excited.

Tonight after Joe left I felt a huge wave of pride wash over me and I know its because I think he has become an incredible man and soldier and I know he carries a part of my brother with him. So tonight I felt proud of both of them.
Like I said, tonight was a different kind of sewing.

just a few favorites

2010-04-11T03:08:00.000-04:00

I went out for my afternoon bike ride with my nieces and these 2 cuties joined us! As soon as I saw combination of their adorable hats, the bright green grass, and the perfect diffused light outside I ran for my camera(s). I haven't finished editing but I just couldn't wait to share a few of my favorites:

So lucky my nieces are always so willing to be lil' models and are so close and available! What a perk! Check out more here.

Its Vintage Polaroid L O V E!

2010-04-10T01:36:00.000-04:00

Finally got the battery for my polo land cam and took my first shots this afternoon!!! Check It:

I'M. IN. LOVE. Vintage polo love to be exact! As soon as I developed my first shot I squealed like a 12 yr old girl and smiled as big as my jaw would allow for the remainder of the afternoon. More on that later.

Happy Friday!

an exciting monday!

2010-04-06T00:03:00.000-04:00

Today I picked up my film from my first duaflex IV experience. I had a really awesome time shooting with this camera and I went into it just letting myself experiment and feel excited about something new so I didn't have high expectations for what the actual frames would come out like.

And to be honest, that was a good thing.

The pictures are fine but they aren't anything to get too excited about:

Again, I did really enjoy shooting with this camera so I decided to do a little research on building my own ttv with this duaflex and my dslr. The film is super expensive but Id like to keep experimenting with this duaflex so building a ttv seems like the perfect solution. I came across this EXCELLENT tutorial and I'm going to try and build it this week. Well, at least that's what the goal is.

Happy Monday!

2010-03-28T17:25:00.000-04:00

Today I finished my Easter Brunch menu and shopping list and I'm getting SO very excited for Sunday! If everything goes as planned we will be enjoying:

{photos & recipes from marthastewart.com}

Menning Mimosas, Hibiscus-Honey Iced Tea, Honey-Orange Baked Ham, Spring Greens Salad, Spinach and Gruyere Quiches, Scalloped Potatoes with Leeks, Coconut Layer Cake, Sugar Cookie Bunnies, & Bird's Nest Cookies!

I just love brunch.
Happy Sunday.

A Short Story:

2010-03-24T21:14:00.000-04:00

Today I tried using my:

But then the prints looked like:

Then I found out I needed a new:

Which made my face look like:

The E N D.

... so bottom line on this lil story is that I tried finding a really good distraction from my homework but failed and now I have no prints and worse: no essay. Dang.

Its been good eats... mostly.

2010-03-16T23:48:00.000-04:00

Recently I wrote down a few goals that I wanted to work on in my "near future" and one of them was to try at least one new recipe a week. So, with that in mind and a serious craving for really good fish & chips in my gut I tried this recipe from the Food Network.

It was A.MA.ZING! Seriously. The batter was perfectly crispy and the tartar sauce... well I don't think I can go back to the bottled store bought stuff! This recipe was super delish and easy! Try it, I promise you will be impressed!

Later in the week I was feeling up to another recipe test so I tried this Caesar dressing from my BH&G cookbook....

Lets just say it looked better than it tasted, and while it wasn't terrible we just wouldn't make it again. I had high hopes since the book claimed it was one of their "best loved" recipes but it simply didn't deliver. So this week I'm on a mission to find a good, no, great Caesar dressing recipe. If you have one your willing to share please, please, please let me know!

Now, off to do some homework and find my next test recipe for the week.

Happy Tuesday!

I just never thought...

2010-03-10T04:01:00.000-05:00

1. Mamiya Super 23 polaroid tribute, 2. Photography, yay!, 3. Contact Sheet, 4. Walgreen's Studio 35 Brand Film, 5. Untitled, 6. Mamiya Super 23 polaroid tribute, 7. Photography, yay!, 8. 3rd time self-develop~ Yeah!!, 9. Walgreen's Studio 35 Brand Film

... Id ever miss developing, processing, and printing in the darkroom the way I do now.

I miss the specific creative energy I found in that calm, dim, quiet, and thought provoking room. There is a certain magic that happens as you wait minutes and more often hours to see the results as you are processing art in a lab or darkroom... and it feels like a slow creative process but it might also be the best... or at least one of the best.

Art has been on my mind so intensely the last couple of days. Recently, with a running mind and sleepless body I have spent hours in my sketchbooks and journals processing how I feel about my art, how my focus has changed over time, how I need it, what it does for me, and how terrified I am of loosing it.

1. MOLOTOW SHIPMENT (Art Primo)., 2. Color My World, 3. Reflections Of An Art School Dropout, 4. PATTY CAKE PATTY CAKE PAINTER'S KEYS, 5. Artist Brushes , 6. supplies, 7. Life of an Artist(2), 8. Alotta Brushes, 9. choose your colour

When I decided to take all GE classes this semester to just "get it over with" it looked good on paper and sounded good in my head but the reality is:

it was a terrible idea.

Somehow its planted this little seed of doubt in my mind(which I am aware of and am fighting). I'm finding myself scared that my life will somehow get so busy with other things (like jobs, chores, a household, eventually kids, etc) that I wont have time to create and then I will loose it.

Loose my creativity because I'm not nurturing and exploring.

Which is what has happened lately. There have been so many things that "need to get done" that I don't have the time or energy to create once all the other "stuff" is taken care of. When I'm taking art and photography classes I have to make time to create. I don't have to justify it and I don't feel guilty about creating when there are a million other things I "need to do".

1. a potter's hands, 2. Pottery Greenware, 3. The Studio, 4. Pottery, 5. young potter, 6. Pottery, 7. Dharavi Matka II, 8. bowls, 9. Throwing on the Wheel: Hands and Clay

So, now that I'm in this predicament for the semester it has me thinking about how I will(or want to) balance my need to create and explore artistically. I guess this is part of growing as an artist. I'm just uncomfortable while trying to figuring out a new balance for my inner artist.

I'm feeling a strong pull towards throwing ceramics and exploring with film again. Both have a special place in my heart and both make me feel a certain kind of "grounded-peaceful-ness".

Which I crave. No, I need. So I'm hoping a brilliant artist revelation is in my near future to resolve this whole thing.

(end of ultra hippie-arty-soul-sharing post.)

vanvleck out.

Easter!

2010-03-04T00:25:00.000-05:00

Easter has been on the front my mind lately. I think its because I took down the valentines decor and once again the house is just looking so bare! I have been searching around my usual inspiration spots (thanks marthastewart.com!) and of course they don't disappoint!

So I am throwing around the idea of hosting Easter brunch this year. Q and I hosted thanksgiving the first year we were married and we invited 45 (yes 45!) family members into our little house and ended up having an awesome time. Our house now is about 1/2 the size of our first place but a small, relaxed, Sunday brunch sounds like something we could pull off here.

I'm seeing small picnic tables, canopies with pastel satin ribbons, goat cheese and asparagus fritadas, french press coffee and a few of these for favors:

so... ya, like I said: I'm just throwing around the idea! ;)

Editing. Lots of Editing

2010-03-02T17:09:00.000-05:00

Today has been all about editing. Photos, business cards, t-shirt designs, websites, and homework are just a few on the list.

Sometimes being productive is just so dull.

Secrets Challenge.

2010-02-27T02:53:00.000-05:00

I read this post about secrets and I'm taking the challenge and posting a few secrets:

{source}

1) I'm terrified I don't have what it takes to become a commercial photographer

{source}

2) There is a constant battle going on somewhere inside my creative being... its all about whether I ignore my love and ability for graphic design or find a way to integrate it into who Id like to be as a creative person.

{source}

3) I wish we could get Z a little sibling! A female chocolate min pin we could name Koko:

4) I think about my brothers ALL THE TIME! I often wish I had a time machine so I could go back and laugh with them again.

5) I put this song on repeat for hours at a time(yes I know the video its odd but I love what this song does in my studio!) .

6) I'm a secret admirer and stalker of this bag even though I know the designer and could just buy the bag before someone else does and have the manufacturer bring it to our next family event instead of shipping it! ;) Its a "feel-good-bag" Jenna!

7) I always look to this woman for a pick me up when I'm feeling down about how long its taking me to get through school! The woman was nearly 40 before she got into cooking(her passion) and she still became a great success!

I also:

-love shopping for cheap designer rejects at "Ross"

-sleep in till noon on my days off(and don't feel one bit guilty about it)

-buy and stash paper, fabric, and cute office supplies

-didn't do my homework that's due tonight! so hmpf!

... Well that was actually quite liberating! I dare you to take the "share your secrets" challenge!

No, I double dog dare ya!

Lets play catch up!

2010-02-25T22:06:00.001-05:00

Here we go:

*First there was this event which was AMAZING! Great people, awesome food, and some crazy dancing(yes thriller made a comeback!) made for a great night!

1. FLO-13, 2. FLO-9, 3. FLO-7, 4. FLO-3, 5. FLO-18, 6. FLO-16, 7. FLO-12, 8. FLO-11, 9. FLO-1

*Then there was lots of homework and 2 semi-mid-term-ish tests... which meant about a week of serious searching for any sort of motivating energy... there wasnt much so I decided Im ready for summer vacation. Or graduation. And both just seem so SO far away.

*Then we went to Reno for Q's 24th birthday, got seperated in the snow, ate lots of sushi, sake, and green tea ice cream, and almost got stuck in the snow again!

1. reno-7, 2. reno-6, 3. reno-5, 4. reno-4, 5. reno-3, 6. reno-2

*Then we officially started working on this years fishing derby which means lots of planning, prepping, and design work on my part... but I must say the desinging is one of my favorite parts! Check out this years Flyer and T-Shirt design:

{T-Shirts will be available HERE soon!}

*I have also become addicted to Telepopmusik, Frou Frou, JEM, and Imogen Heap! If you havent heard of any of them you should check them out... NOW! Heres some recomendations:

This playlist has been running non stop while I have been designing... I once had a sculpture teacher who gave a lecture on how to put the right vibe out in your work studio(awesome I know!), he said "do whatever it takes to make your space feel creative to you"... lately this music plus cinnamon girl scout cookies and late night cups of good coffee have been putting a productive yet creative vibe out in my space!

Speaking of productive vibes I better sign off and get some stuff done!

Happy Thursday.

Inspiration OVERLOAD!!!!!!!!

2010-02-05T00:54:00.001-05:00

aAAAAAAAHHHHHH! I just keep clicking and theres just more and more goodness! After the previous post I clicked some side bars and that led me to more good stuff so I clicked and clicked and clicked some more and its like I have tapped into a stream of awesome blogs, photographers, designers, and artists...oh my! And I know I just posted a recommendation but heres one more:

I think my heart melted when I read the tag line:

A fusion of photography, design, and inspiration.

I call that perfection.

i HEART fabulously inspiring blogs.

2010-02-05T00:32:00.000-05:00

Wowzers. I just stumbled across this blog:

and ....and..... and.... uhhh... I cant even explain the amount or kind of inspiration that this place is giving off! Have you ever come across a blog and you are instantly captured and fascinated by it and you are just clicking away all over the place reading as fast as your little eyes possibly can to try to absorb all the exciting goodness?!!!! Cause that's what just happened. It was awesome.
Go. Now. Check it out!

Home full of LOVE!

2010-02-03T16:41:00.000-05:00

Thought I would share a few pics of the "lovey-ness" that's showing up in our home:

{Doilies tacked on with glue dots, tucked under arrangements, and hanging in my kitchen... one pack really goes a long way!}

{love themed collages made with old scrapbooking supplies}

{And would you believe: all this red gingham fabric is from a single yard?}

{a new set of placemats}

{I sewed these using that same piece of fabric, some ribbon, and thrift store heart trim I have been stashing for over a year!}

{simple sewing = quick = finished projects = one happy woman}

{center piece is just a bunch of candle holders I got at the dollar store and decorated with scraps of red ribbon}

{and speaking of the dollar store, I made these from dollar store finds as well}

{spray paint the glass candle holders, cut floral foam to fit inside holders, add paper flowers(from scrapbook stash!) to the bottoms of the heart picks, cut into different lengths, arrange in floral foam, and top with dried moss,

(can you believe the dollar store is now selling decent supplies like dried moss and glittered heart picks?! geez!) I promise this project is easy peasy! AND CHEAP!

{and my love mailbox finally has a home}

{last but not least... the classic heart candy votives}

Actually, these votive holders were a christmas gift and they are designed especially to be filled with items of choice... so basically: they are perfect for this kind of thing! Thanks auntie! ;D

Oh, and while playing with the candy look what I found:

Made me think of a certain someones twitter feed....hmmm....
looks like the perfect message! ;D
Gotta love those heart candies!

Love Scale Quiz

2010-02-02T22:40:00.000-05:00

I love taking little test and quizzes... I mean the kind in magazines, or on websites, and occasionally the ones found in my textbooks. Today while doing some reading for my Psychology of Marriage class I had to(well, chose to really) take a Love Attitudes Scale test from my book. The test is to determine whether you are romantic or realistic in your attitude toward love. Of course I was super curious what I would be rated and even more curious what Q would be rated. So, I asked him to take it too (told him it was for a better understanding of my studies... cmon' it totally was! ;D).

{anniversary camping}

Turns out we are both right in the middle... OK, actually I'm about 8 more points "realistic" than he was but we were both super close in our scores overall. Which, was interesting and funny at the same time! If you are curious or just like these kind of things too you can take the test by clicking here. Print out one for you and one for your special someone, answer separately(and honestly! ;D) and compare scores when you finish! Just a fun little love related activity for February!

been dreaming about...

2010-02-02T01:33:00.001-05:00

bright, airy, and well lit creative spaces:

1. My Studio, 2. Pottery Barn craft room, 3. Heather Bailey's studio, 4. My Studio, 5. progress in the studio 1, 6. Susan Amons- sketches, 7. Lots of color! ♥, 8. More art on the wall, 9. 100_4309, 10. Craft room - overview, 11. 100_4306, 12. 100_4323

seen any good studio lighting ideas?

GREAT fonts!

2010-02-01T15:10:00.000-05:00

I might be late to jump on the ban-wagon over at kevinandamanda.com but man I am so glad I found such an awesome creative website! If you haven't already you should jump over there and check out their free fonts... yes, I said free!

And if your a font junkie like moi then look for the button on the right side bar that says "download all fonts from this site"... yes, ALL of their fonts are awesome! Oh man, if my lips didn't hurt so bad I would have totally smiled so BIG when I saw that button! ;D

What an awesome way to kick off February!

Lips... and how I wish I had some right now.

2010-01-31T22:26:00.000-05:00

Well, lets be honest: I have been MIA in this space for too long! And its sad, sad that it has taken something so drastic to get me back on track... what might I be talking about? Well, a few days ago I woke up with lips about 3 times their normal size and covered in fever blisters(ewwww. I know. Sorry). So I went to the doctors office against my fighting urge to just put a bag over my head and crawl into a hole and what does she tell me?

Its from stress.

Hmmmm... thanks doc! I then cried the whole way home.

Its been days and my lips could seriously put Angelina Jolie's to shame. Absolute shame.

For someone who:

likes speaking clearly...in english... with my voice and mouth...

likes kissing her husband to say "hey, love ya!"...

likes to smile and laugh... with teeth...

likes... no, loves & enjoys food...

as much as I do... this is like mental torture on top of the physical torture!

But, my house is spotless, my homework for the next week is already done, old projects are being finished our of boredom and I have posted on this ol' blog for the first time in weeks.

So I guess some good has come out of something really terrible!

Well, I promise the next post wont be so whiny and icky but I just had to break the ice somewhere. Here's to hoping February will be more successful in blogland!

Night.

Kitchen Breaks.

2010-01-11T17:18:00.000-05:00

This morning has been full of designing... and almost all of it requires me to sit in front of the computer for long long long periods of time. Which is fine. But, after a while I just have to get out of this desk chair and get my creative energies going again! Most of the time that means I will need my camera and some time in the kitchen.

So on today's kitchen break I made these polenta stacks with balsamic glazed baby portobellos.

I challenged myself to try and use some new items with some vintage items for these shots... so the result was new table linens with vintage plates:

I think I can count this as a successful break. :D And now its time to go back to my digi-canvas with a full tummy and some fresh creative energy.

Hope to be back soon with some design previews!

Jumping right in.

2010-01-04T19:15:00.000-05:00

That's the way I like to do things.

So, hello 2010, hello a new decade, hello a whole new year of kreative projects! And the first project of the year was all about love... and I just loved that! I had taken down all the Christmas decorations and the house looked so bare and depressing I had to jump into valentines (yes, I know its not even February!).

I found these adorable tin mailboxes in the DOLLAR BIN at Target! Crazy right?! They were just solid colors so I took a few packs of "lovey themed" rub-ons and added a bunch of words and hearts in bands... it was so simple and cheap I just want to cover my house in them!

As I was in the Valentines mood I found some other projects I want to put on the to-do list over in Martha's Valentine's Gallery:

She's always got the best holiday inspiration.
Oh, and happy 2010!

today...

2009-12-15T21:42:00.000-05:00

I had a burger for breakfast, a chocolate torte for lunch and coffee for dinner... its officially "finals-crunch-time-and-major-stressing-so-i-eat-everything-season!"
awesome.
now back to drinking more coffee and listening to very loud skillet and lights to keep me amped(wow did that just sound so bro-ish or what?! yikes.) for the all night studying I have ahead of me.

vanvleck out.

I love when my homework looks like this:

2009-12-10T02:08:00.000-05:00

I think Q does too since he gets to eat everything after its been photographed! I spent all day in and out of the kitchen slicing and dicing, melting and positioning and then out to do lighting, reflecting, focusing and shooting... then back to the kitchen... it was a good day. Now back to more editing and portfolio making... gotta love the end of semester crunch!

snow = good crafting

2009-12-10T01:57:00.001-05:00

Earlier this week I woke up and it looked like this outside:

SO Beautiful! Of course we were stuck at home so I ended up getting lots of christmas projects done... and I dont know if it was the snow or the all-day-pj-wearing but I was on a roll! I have been obsessed with this "feel" for my christmas projects:

{lots of browns, naturals, beige, grey, a little bright red, some frosty blue and lots and lots of jems!}

and I made a stack of these sweet little mini-stockings that will soon be made into a garland.

I hope it snows again soon!

12.1.09

2009-12-02T01:28:00.000-05:00

Well I have just been sewing sewing sewing lately! Sewing in between studying, sewing after work, sewing when I should be sleeping... you get the point! Its getting kind of crazy actually. Its been mostly projects from this book including these cute stuffed reindeer:

and a whole slew of these bird ornaments (which still need ribbons and maybe a few beads).

I think the next project Im going to try will be the mini stockings or a few pairs of christmas slippers for Q and I.

On a total side note we are newly and completely obsessed with:

...fresh grapefruit juice! My grandparents have grapefruit trees and she brought up 3 huge grocery bags at thanksgiving. I have been looking up grapefruit recipes like crazy but I have only had time to enjoy them simply as juice (with a little agave sweetener too). O, and if your wondering how many grapefruits you need to juice to make an entire pitcher of juice.... its ALOT!
OK now back to sewing! ;D

tonight looked like:

2009-11-22T05:23:00.000-05:00

Indian takeout: delish.

Finished math chapters: whew!

And finally FINALLY finally:.... some guilt-free-because-everything-else-is-done Christmas crafting has begun!

I've now started a brocade poinsettia wreath, a pile of birdie ornaments, 2 stuffed reindeer heads, and a new micro fleece jacket for babushka(zips new nick-name as of late.... random. I know!). Well I hope to be back with a list of completed projects and pics soon, now back to sewing!

Christmas Project List!

2009-11-19T03:20:00.000-05:00

Well I have been searching my favorite sites and my list of Christmas projects is growing at a rapid pace! Thought I would share a few simple but lovely things that have made the list:

And I have decided I want to make just about everything in this book:

... its an oldy-but-a-goody!

Its been a while....

2009-11-17T22:59:00.000-05:00

... so, since Ive been gone:

~Ive spent lots of time with my nieces!

~I threw a Halloween party

{yes, my niece is now officially a guns n roses fan before she can even sing one of their songs!}

~I helped throw a double sized baby shower for my 2 new nieces. yep, that's right, twins!

{the MIL is totally on a cupcake kick!}

~Ive done ridiculous amounts of stats homework (by which I have been getting my butt kicked!)

~Ive been trying to grasp as much knowledge as possible about this insane program in class

~Ive been going to class after class at the gym to try and get ahead of all the holiday goodness that seems to linger around my midsection past December

~Ive also fallen sooooOOOooooOOOooo far behind on my blog reading that I cant even figure out where to start.

~Been listening to Andrea Bocelli's new holiday album for weeks!

~Been wishing for a new puppy and sibling for zip.

~Been prayin', PRAYING, praying about future plans.

~Been learning patience.

.... o, this list could go on and on so lets just stop the rambling here.

glad I'm back.

will post soon with actual sentences instead of just lists!

promise.

I love Real Simple. Its that simple.

2009-10-15T18:33:00.000-04:00

I have subscribed to Real Simple for as long as I have lived on my own and before that my mom had a subscription to the magazine for as long as I can remember.... and I just love the magazine. I love the photographers, the recipes, the brilliant ideas for double uses with household items, the comic authors that spin the best essays on everyday happenings... I just love it.

So today I was in a "Real Simple" mood and decided to make their Butternut squash soup and set up a lil' mini shoot in the kitchen. Their recipe was... well... simple so I added some toasted almonds, shaved Parmesan, and a sprinkle of baby sage leaves that I have been growing in my window sill...

I would highly recommend the said combination because its was quite tasty (if I do say so myself! ha.). And not only did I have a fabulous lunch but now I also have a new batch of photos to take to class tonight, which is great cause it was getting a little stagnant on the food photo front!

Have you seen this?

2009-10-13T12:48:00.001-04:00

just amazing.

Fall Project {3}

2009-10-12T14:18:00.000-04:00

This project consists of two stories:

Story 1:

In our house we have a hutch that we were handed down, and when we got it... lets just say it wasn't-our-style. So a while ago we painted it and took out the old stained glass fronts and I mounted some Martha Stewart paper onto some mat-board to put in the front windows and called it good.

Story 2:

I have had this amazing Alexander Henry fabric that has been sitting in my studio begging to used. I thought I would applique the witches onto a table runner and it would be soooo cute.... but then reality set in and I realized applique takes a lil' more time then I think Ive got this October.... so...

I put my hutch and the fabric together and I got a sweet Halloween hutch out of it! I used my 505 spray & fix to glue the fabric onto my existing mat-board and threw them in the windows and now its a Halloween hutch!

The best part about using the 505 is that its temporary so I only sprayed it onto my fabric and it will hold well enough while its in the hutch but then when I'm done I just peel off the fabric and throw it in the wash to remove the washable adhesive! Perfect.

Fall Project {3}... done.

This was soOOooOOoo AWESOME!

2009-10-10T17:17:00.000-04:00

OK, being sick has completely sucked the last couple of days but today I had just enough energy to sit in front of my computer long enough to actually watch Jim & Pam get married on the Office and it was SO awesome!

And of course I immediately had to hop over to you-tube to see what "wedding entrance" they were talking about! If you haven't seen it you ABSOLUTELY have to watch this awesome clip:

I think we just might of done this if we had seen anything like it before our wedding! I loved everything about this... its unique(well, it was) it makes you smile, it sets a sweet vibe, and it definitely had to of got the party started right? And the fact that they are bumpin' Chris Brown in that big'ol church? So awesome.

OK, well enough excitement for today. Back to bed to try and finally kick the swine flu.

Fall Project {2}

2009-10-07T23:17:00.000-04:00

Well I designed, printed, and finished the Halloween invites! I had originally wanted to use the Martha Stewart cobweb punch I mentioned here but later discovered that punch was actually 2 separate punches that were quite expensive for something I would only use a few times.... sorry Martha. Sooooo I came up with something a little different: I made 2 separate designs in Illustrator, one is the cobweb border and the other is the actual words on the invite:

So I printed the border on the green paper and the words on the orange paper.

And layered on top of each other they were "ok" but they needed a lil' something more. So I sanded the edges and added a few rhinestones and called it good! ;D

Fall Project {2} : DONE.

Oktoberfest.

2009-10-05T16:01:00.000-04:00

Well, the Oktoberfest dinner party was a "insgesamt erfolg" (total success) ;D We had a great time and the food was delish! I pulled all the recipes from myrecipes.com and although we hadn't made any of them before they all came out pretty tasty!

We had Soft Pretzels for appetizers with a variety of different mustards. Sweet & Sour Braised Cabbage, Hot German Potato Salad, and Beer Cooked Bratwurst for dinner. And Pumpkin Streusel Pie for desert! Now, about the pie, I had to work Saturday so I left all these recipes with Q to prep and the one thing he had to do that morning was make the pie... and when I came home this is what I found:

Seriously impressive! Who knew the guy could bake?! And he even cut out the little fall leaves to make a cute crust witch just totally blew my mind! It tasted just as amazing as it looks so I would highly recommend this recipe!

Like I mentioned before, everyone who came had to bring a beer that started with the same letter as their last name started with. It was really a fun touch to the party! And of course it was fun to try all the brews that everyone brought! ;D And for those of us whose last names that start with "V" it was the ultimate challenge finding a "V" beer!

I didn't get ANY pictures of the whole table scape but at some point I snapped a quick pic of the steins I used for the centerpiece:

I used the German flag colors (red, black, and yellow) to dress the table and I threw my parents steins on a mirror in the center to make it a little more "Oktoberfest-ish". All in all, it was a fun night with great food and great friends! I think we might have to make this one of our reoccurring parties! Herzlich willkommen oktober!

Today.

2009-10-04T15:39:00.000-04:00

Today looks like wind & clouds, statistics homework, and lots of coffee to stay motivated.

Its going to be quite a mellow Sunday. Be back soon with pictures from last nights Oktoberfest Dinner party.

Fall Project {1}

2009-09-23T03:06:00.000-04:00

I finally started some of my fall projects and thought I would share this quickie! I found some cute yet extremely cheap fall fabric at Wal-Mart Monday and thought it would make perfect mini table cloths. I have 2 small side tables I use our living room that are very simple and always being changed, they used to look like this:

But I thought they needed some fall-lovin' so I folded my fall Wall-Mart fabric into quarters like so:

Then tied a marker to a piece of string:

Then I measured it out to the top of my fabric:

Then I held it down at the folded corner:

Then I swung it around to make a semi-circle:

Then I cut along my guideline:

Then I added the mini-table cloth to a (pretty drab) solid brown table cloth I already had in the linen closet:

And voila! A quickie side table make-over! And no I didn't hem or surge or pink the edges because the slightly frayed look adds to the rustic-fall vibe these babies are puttin' out! Plus I like keeping it real simple sometimes! ;D

Well more fall projects coming soon... especially now that its OFFICIALLY fall here in the northern hemi.

October parties!

2009-09-18T12:42:00.000-04:00

O how I love throwing a good party! And fall parties might just be my favorite! For October I have 2 parties in the works: an Oktoberfest party and our now annual Halloween party.

I got the Oktoberfest party from my Everyday with Rachael Ray mag (which has quickly become a new fave!) and a little extra inspiration from my pops. See his idea was to have everyone bring a beer that's title begins with the same letter as their last name starts with (yes, Q and I will definitely have to order online! V?! cmon!) I just loved that idea! So it will be brats, sauerkraut, beer and good peeps! Now I just need to whip out some invites and find one of these sweet outfits for Q! ;D

And then there is the Halloween Cocktails & Costumes party. Last years was so much fun we figured we would just have to make it an annual thing! So I have been checkin' out Martha's site for some good'n'spooky ideas and here are a few of my faves so far:

{love the web trim in this}

{thought I would do this out of felt, just die cute and sew!}

{and these sweet things could stay out through november}

{I just love a good tablescape}

{I always see old silk flowers at the thrift stores so this project could be done super cheap}

{I just thought this was awesom since way to recycle! plus I have 4 nieces & 1 nephew that need a little somethin' special too and Im always looking for cleaver ways to revamp boring ol' treat bags!}

So what do you have planned for october?

Happy Friday!

Sweet sweet Mendocino

2009-09-16T23:24:00.000-04:00

I absolutely adore the ENTIRE mendocino line by Heather Ross which has been out for a while and is now discontinued (super sad face). So of course I had to get some and find some sort of project for this cute CUTE cute fabric!

{btw- the solids in this are kona cottons from Robert Kaufman, another new found love!}

I decided I'm going to use the above fabrics to make the following Denyse Schmidt quilt: (big thanks to Jenna for making me completely obsessed with her perfectly wonky style! ;D)

I found this at purlbee.com and apparently there is a free pattern for it but I think its also in her book which I will be tracking down on amazon pronto.
So you might be thinking "gee, its kind of a juvenile print and it has lots of pink?..." and I thought that too while I was trying to figure out where the heck it will end up in my house but then for the first time EVER I found myself thinking "it would be a nice quilt for a baby girls room..." and "wouldn't mermaids make a cute baby theme?"... SHOCKED right? Most of you know Q and I are so not in the "lets have babies" mentality and don't want to be for a LONG long time but I figured if I'm going to be putting all this creative thought, time, and work into something I might as well put it away so our future children can enjoy it right? right.

Ok, I'm off to track down that fabulous Denyse Schmidt book. loves.

the owl quilt is done!

2009-09-16T00:00:00.000-04:00

Its official! I finished up Monday and I have been carrying it around the house with me like Linus! Check it out:

{And please excuse our wrinkles! Its fresh out of the wash in these pics!}

This was the first time I have ever used my walking foot... actually to be honest I didn't even know I had one! I had a whole box of "accessories" that came with my machine that I put away in a drawer and forgot about until this project. I was looking at different ways to finish pieced blanket tops and most of them recommended machine quilting so I got out my user manual and there it was: instructions on how to quilt with your walking foot. Turns out there was a walking foot and a darning foot(for free motion quilting) in that box! Ha! So with a little practice and this fabulous tutorial I have now successfully finished my first machine quilted project!

Now the next challenge is finding a project to test my darning foot and free motion skills! ;D

Today...

2009-09-14T12:18:00.000-04:00

Today I...
Woke up to the smell of rain, am burning pumpkin spice candles, will finish the "owl quilt", am bringing out the fall decorations, am finishing my stats homework if it kills me, can hear it raining outside my window, will stay in my pajamas, am making a huge pot of chicken tortilla soup, will challenge myself to find 5 new angles on rain photos, am drinking spicy homemade mochas, today I am ready for FALL.

1. Déluge, 2. Guard Shack, 3. Meseta's storm / Tormenta mesetaria, 4. "It is sad not to get what you hoped for. But wishes that come true are like eating fruit from the tree of life.", 5. threatening sky, 6. bay drive, 7. IT´S A RAINY NIGHT IN THE CITY, 8. Rainy Bench Monday, 9. September 12, 2009, 10. I love walking in the rain, 11. I made it through the rain, 12. Humankind has not woven the web of life... we are but e thread within it..., 13. splash and reflect, 14. into each life some rain must fall, 15. threatening sky, 16. It's raining hearts (365/351)

quilt update

2009-08-30T14:56:00.000-04:00

Well I laid out all the squares again and I was moving and swapping squares and blurring my eyes to make sure it was all balanced and after a while (a long while!) Zip decided the design was fine the way it was:

It was like he laid down right in front of me and looked up to say: "Really, its fine. start sewing it already!" It was so funny.

Last night I had a case of crafting-A.D.D. I knew I should have finished the quilt project first but somehow got sidetracked on an old panel project my grandma had sent up.

Its quite country bumpkin but I was in the mood for something kind of mindless and definitely something fall-themed. I think it turned out pretty cute but I don't know that I will keep it. It doesn't really match any of my fall decor. Maybe I will throw it in my etsy shop and see if it sells? Do people buy these kinds of things on etsy? Its just so country-bumpkin... and I'm so not.

Could'nt help myself!

2009-08-29T12:55:00.000-04:00

Well its my first week at my new job downtown at the fabric shop and I have already begun buying fabric and making up projects. I don't need any new projects but I just couldn't help myself! These little owls were looking up saying "buy me Kate! buy me!" So last night I started a minor quilt project:

I cut sixty 6" squares and then laid them out like so:

But this was to clean and traditional for my taste so tonight I'm gonna mix them all up so its a more random pattern. I'm also using a lime green corduroy to back this and I was thinking I might use some in the front. who knows?!

O, and I found out zip also loves new sewing projects:

Hes a great quilting-on-the-carpet-buddy! ;D

Cant stop.

2009-08-25T15:33:00.000-04:00

Ive been watching old episodes of The French Chef over on pbs.org and I just cant stop! I'm sad to admit that my husband didn't even know who Julia Child was until this morning when the videos started! But, now I think I can say we are both enjoying listening/watching while working in the office. We also cant help but join in on her signature sign off: Bon Appétit!

If your in the mood for something old fashioned and witty check out some episodes yourself:

The elegance with eggs episode was quite nice and the cheese souffle episode was just so classic!

Brilliant!

2009-08-25T14:39:00.000-04:00

Last night mom and I went to see Julie & Julia and it was absolutely BRILLIANT!!!!

The story, the characters, and the FOOD! My goodness! The Food was BEAUTIFUL!!!

I recently saw on one of the food stylist blogs I read(don't remember which) an interview with the food stylist in charge of the styling for the entire film. It was a great interview and I while watching the movie I kept thinking back to all the tasks and plates and fake burnt beef stew that stylist so masterfully put together and I was just totally in awe. And then I was extremely inspired! My tank was filled and I'm amped to start shooting still life and food again! Im ready for a new challenge, or contest, or project... Im READY! Just in time for the new semester!

Both mom and I had read Julia's book My Life in France and I think it really added to our experience at the show last night. Now I'm on the search for 3 new books:

1. Julie & Julia (the book the entire movie was based off)

2. Mastering the Art of French Cooking (because there were so many things Julie attempts in the movie that I just have to try myself!)

3. The "Italian version" of My Life in France that my SIL said I would just love!

Add em' to the long list of books I already need for the new semester! Whats three extra books gonna hurt?! ;D

Do you know if this pattern exists?

2009-08-24T12:49:00.001-04:00

Ali Edwards did a feature on this shop and I saw this top:

... and Im in love!!! Im wondering if there is a pattern for this? If so, whats it called and where can I find it?! I know I could figure one out my own but cmon! It so much easier when that kind of work is already done for you! ;D

being normal.

2009-08-17T00:46:00.000-04:00

Well I was catching up over at sprague lab and I came to this post that made me feel so much more normal.

More normal about how much time Q and I spend on our computers, more normal about Q playing a computer game that millions of other people are also "into", more normal about the very nerdy head phone wearing, more normal about the guild leading and the arena battling... you get the point.

After all the crap he (and I) get about his W.O.W. playing it was nice to hear I'm not the only wife with a husband that loves computer games. so hmpf.

On a side note, I was searching around her blog for some digital advice. She always has great tutorials and digi-advice. I have been experimenting with the photo set-up and capabilities of blogger.com and I really haven't been impressed. I want a blog that's easy to use but displays nice sized and good quality photos. So really, I'm in the market for a new blog. But! there are so many options blogger, wordpress, typepad, webs, etc... and to be honest I'm feeling a little burnt out with the online research/shopping, this might be a job for my SIL who is fantastic at online comparisons (first a car, then a camera, then a sewing machine... shes a pro by now! ;D). In the mean time I hope you all can bear with me and my wonky picture posting.

anyhoo...

Tonight I'm listening to lots of Molto Mario on hulu while eating pasta and scrapbooking more pages of our Italy trip. Its turning into a nice lil' Sunday evening. :D

Secret crafting pics!!! Finally!

2009-08-14T12:24:00.000-04:00

SooOOooo....I have been crafting in secret since june! I have been planning a anniversary party for my parents 25th which was last weekend and since she stops by this ol' blog I had to hold out on all those projects But at last I can share!

My aunt, cousins, and I had a few secret craft parties to whip out lots of party cuteness:

The theme of the party was "love birds" so we(well more quincy than anyone really!) die cut what seemed like a million little silver and navy paper birdies. Which we hot glued onto scewers and used in all the plants and flower arrangement and hung in the trees (silver spray painted manzanity branches) we created for the entryways (you can kind of see them in the top right pic). We also glued like 75 little-tiny-mini wedding pics to the birds that went into the flower arrangements.

Then I think we stamped 150-ish napkins? These ladies are troopers! I think picking which design we liked best was the hardest part:

And then all these little pics ended up on toothpics as the cupcaketoppers:

There were pics of them feeding(well, smashing and smearing really) eachother cake at the wedding and then one of them afterwards with frosting all over their smiles. They made awfully cute cupcake toppers!

And there was tons of decorating to do! The barn we held the party in was HUGE so we had our work cut out for us! Quincy and Geoff hung soooOOoSSoooo many twinkle lights, sheer swags, fabric swags, umbrellas..... you get the point, these guys sere such a big help in the decorating department!

I think the party and the barn turned out.... very magical, enchanting, romantic, and with just the right amount of small-town-back-yard-ness and a touch of hand-crafted-ness!
It was my kind of party.

help. please.

2009-08-04T23:16:00.000-04:00

So I have been editing some product pictures for the new Stoney Oaks Farms site Im building for my parents and I am just having a heckofa time choosing between compositions... so, I figured I could just ask the audience:

Which do you prefer?... and why?

Id really appreciate any imput! Cause I think my brain has gone mushy for the night... time to get off the computer!!!!

O, and on a side note, I finally got around to trying one of these:

... which I saw a while back on elsie flannigans blog. It was absolutely delish! obviously! {I meant to take a picture of that cup all full and pretty but after just one taste I couldn't help myself! ;D by the time I got to my camera there was nothing left in the cup! ha!} Anyhoo, Id definitely recommend it! It totally DOES taste like "Berries Captain 'n' Crunch"! Just ask for the strawberries and creme frappacino with a pump of hazelnut. mmm so good!