So I confess, I’m still head over heels for my 160 GB iPod classic. As technology is moving forward with gadgets that are made for unlimited streaming and storage, I just can’t seem move forward and keep up. I honestly don’t care to. I don’t want my music in the same space as my phone. They have two different purposes for me and I have no interest in combining them. Anyone else feel the same way?
(A few of my favorite bags, which you can find in my shop!)
I find myself living a double life these days. By day, I’m a full time designer at a shoe company. By night, I’m a weaving rookie trying to find time to fit in crafty projects while relaxing and not feeling guilty about taking it easy every so often.
I’ve been trying to treat this year differently than last year. I have clearer set goals, more motivation than I’ve felt in a while, and I’ve been non stop during any spare time I’ve got. Fun fact: I fell asleep just before 10pm last night because I just couldn’t keep my eyes open.
2015 was a wild year. Full of a decent amount of ups and plenty of downs. Haven’t concluded if they equalized, but it was definitely a roller coaster ride.
I began my year moving back from my “dream city” of Portland after living there for only four months. The year started off on of bad note because it became a kind of reminder that things didn’t work out so I had to take a few steps back and undo what I did. Not exactly what I wanted, but it had to be done. With that said, I was excited to start all over again back home, but things didn’t exactly work in my favor back home either. At least not right away. Things began to turn around for me towards the end of the year, which is why I feel positive 2016 will turn out great.
I’ve never been a fan of fringe, trimmings, or too much extra embellishments. The occasional studs, sure. And sometimes chains to make things more “edgy”, but fringe was always a no go for me.
Working on these tote bags kinda changed my views on certain things. For one, I’m really loving the “bohemian” look. I think I kinda always did, but the fact that the term “gypsy” is associated with it makes me uncomfortable, especially since it’s an ethnic slur and I don’t like going there – that whole “cultural appropriation” land. I think a good substitute for that term is “bohemian/boho“, so we’ll stick to that. I’ve been digging that look lately – the colors, embellishments, fabric combinations, etc. I’ve been accepting the fringe at the bottom of my bags. I’m totally feeling it. And I’ve never noticed how many color variations there can be, and even if you use the same exact colors and fabrics, it will always end up being executed differently in rag weaves.
In celebration of Small Business Saturday, here’s a tiny memory I would like to share.
It was middle school and I was fully into figuring out how to sew. Even though my grandma was a seamstress for a good chunk of her life, I went on a mission to experiment and teach myself to sew. You can say years of chilling in her basement surrounded by tons of sewing supplies and fabric (her hoarding genes were clearly passed to me), and sitting on her lap stepping down on the foot pedal of her old fashion sewing machine sparked something – it was that very environment I was so used to that encouraged me to do my own thing when I hit my teenage years.
Here are a couple of things I bought from some local craft fairs I went to this weekend. ↑ Almond Rose body butter and a pretty beaded bracelet from this “psychic fair” I attended.
Honestly though, I’m not here to talk about what I bought.
In theory, craft fairs are an amazing concept. You have a chance to sell your products while promoting yourself and the things you make. You get the exposure and a way to connect with your customers. All in all, it seems like such a good deal. But, can we talk about how awkward they are?
Lately, there’s been a question constantly popping up in my head, and my recent trip to Graceland kinda brought it up again: what’s up with people obsessing over celebrities?
I don’t think we’re the only country to obsess over celebrities and their lives, but the U.S. seems to do a pretty good job at selling the idea to the general public that certain people should be put up on pedestals while creating jobs that are specifically geared towards stalking and photographing said people on said pedestals.
Everybody has something to say about art school, whether they were an attendee or not. It’s viewed as a joke from outside perspectives, and it’s even kind of viewed as a joke from inside perspectives.
Here’s the thing, every school produces a different experience. It can even become a different experience for people attending the same school. People handle the stress and pressure differently, and I have witnessed cliques formed as well as lone wolves consistently going it alone. There’s no way to determine what school is the best to attend because it depends on what professors are on the current roll call, and your possible classmates that will be suffering through school with you. Art students are thought as “stuck up hipsters”, and while some may be, there’s a chance you’ll come across some keepers that you’ll include in your daily doings. You can’t really ever know what to expect.
After being in Europe for three months, I have grown to appreciate American culture a little more. Europe is a place everyone wants to escape to, be it vacations or daydreaming of living in a cottage in the country by the sea with no distractions and the quiet subtle rumbling of the oceans hitting the rocks. Pretty elaborate visual, but I’m sure we’ve all had a daydream or two like that.
Being away from my normal everyday environment, submerged in a different culture, made me miss what I know. And for that, I’m sure I won’t make a permanent move out of America any time soon. Believe me, I strongly considered it. I didn’t want to talk about it until I was sure, but this trip to Greece was half a test to see if I could find a way to live there. After graduating, I was frustrated with the pressure and the feeling of having to put my life together, find a job, move out, and live like an adult. Things didn’t work out as I hoped, made a lot of physical moves and my mentality kinda took a dive. I thought “maybe all of this isn’t for me” – American living, that is.
(A coloring book I purchased in Portland featuring Tibetan art.)
As I have written previously about rediscovering your hobbies, I still feel that everyone forgets about the simple things in life. I think it’s important to take a step back and give love to the things that make you happy. As you can see, I’m big into the arts as it has been with me throughout my life journey, and it will be with me till the end. I will always preach for the arts.
I will also preach for coloring books. Sounds silly? Well, hear me out.
