Ridiculous Skills

Dana Tanamachi is a graphic designer most known for her hand lettering skills with chalk. Just the amount of precision and depth she's able to create in her typography using a simple and low-tech medium, such as chalk, just blows my mind.

If you've never seen Dana work it, I suggest you take a gander.


Ace Hotel Room 1021 from Dana Tanamachi on Vimeo.

Lazy Saturday

Today has mostly been a day of lounging. Sebastian spent the whole day sleeping or basking in the sun.

I, on the otherhand, spent my time playing with Vignette. I remember when I used to carry a camera with me everywhere and document everything. And now with cell phone cameras and various apps, it's so much easier. Yet, it's something I don't do anymore. So I've been trying to get back into that habit.

Basic Space

The Newest Thing I Can't Live Without

For being unemployed, I have quite a busy summer ahead of me. Between launching a new jewelry line, looking for work, and working on my portfolio. It's getting much harder to keep track of things. I never thought I'd see the days when I would actually need to make a To-Do list. In the past, every time I made a list for myself I ended up failing to look at them. Or even worse, I acknowledge their existence but simply ignore what's written on them. Also, with the new trend of everyone having a smartphone, it makes it easier to always have the list on you. But for me I always find that I remember things easier when they're written than when they're typed. So I keep these Desk-Its from Poketo at my desk.

The awesome thing about Desk-Its is that they're pre-printed with the days of the week Monday–Sunday with lines for your list of things to do. and next to each item is a box to check things off when you're done. It's also conveniently almost the same size as your keyboard so it can also double as a wrist rest for when you're typing. Or if you want, you can just tear off the sheet and stick it anywhere you want like to the bottom of your computer monitor or your fridge. 

But one thing is for sure. It has made my list of things I cannot live without.

Minimal is the New Excess

Everyone who knows me knows about my obsession with white. For some, white is just a phase. A trend. A fad. But for me, white is a state of mind. A way of living. Some find it odd when I say this but, I love white because there's something very offensive about it. The thought of something being piercingly stark white against a dark background. Or being an opposition to color by lacking pigment/hue. When mixed with colors, it tones them down. And with enough of it, it can soften even the loudest colors into a pastel(there's nothing threatening about Easter eggs). But it says something different then, say, a neon yellow. White is like a silent rebellion. It gets your attention without having to yell. Hell, it gets your attention without having to mutter a word. It has a grace about it. Even when it's challenging you to keep it clean. It can cause so much frustration by just being itself. When you don't want to touch it out of fear of getting it dirty, it dares you to touch it. It taunts and teases you. I don't buy into the belief that white symbolizes innocence and purity. White is smart, cunning, and manipulative. If anything, it uses its pure image to outsmart us all.

I own quite a lot of white items. My nature response to every product is, "Does it come in white?"

And my latest white object of desire is this little timepiece from Uniform Wares.

I don't see my love for white objects as being any sort of style. I'm just in love with the simplicity and adaptability. When you walk away from bold/obnoxious/trendy colors, you realize how much you don't need them in your life. White is the ultimate chameleon. Without having to take on another color. It goes with everything. And rarely ever clashes. 

Recent Etsy Purchase: Twinkie Chan Cupcake Scarf

So today I was bad and made another Etsy purchase from one of my favorite peeps, Twinkie Chan! I own many things from her but never got my hands on one of her signature cupcake scarves until now. I'm very excited! 

See more stuff by her on sale on her Etsy.

Sherman on his Banana Phone

The Pre-Weekend Update

I’ve been spending a good amount of money lately. On things I just couldn’t resist, like the Complete Daria Box set due out May 11th.

It’s about 2 weeks(or maybe even less) left in the semester and there’s still plenty to do, but i’m not all that motivated to do it. I just want my web class to be over with already. It was awesome at the beginning, then after a month it became a real drag. At the beginning of the semester, the semester said that we were going to complete 3 projects. Now we just need to finish 1 and it doesn’t have to even be coded as long as we can clearly show how it will function. I felt like a lot of time was just wasted on tedious busy work.

Even though I got into the BFA program, I still have one more project due for portfolio prep. It’s the “Pie in the Sky” project. Essentially, the project you’ve always wanted to do but never had the chance to do, and it can be ANYTHING! So I’m working on that introspective book that I started on over x-mas vacation. It has gone through a lot of edits and transformations, but it’s been decided that it’s going to be a book of little vignettes instead of being a book that has a chronological timeline. I’m struggling with it a bit. Mostly because I need to struggle with it. I’ve always had trouble talking about myself and I like to think this is a cheaper and more satisfying form of therapy.

And Then a View-Master Appeared, Out of Thin Air

So we were attacked by a mystery gift giver late late last night! There were 2 packages, addressed to Kevin and I (we should’ve taken a picture before opening, but was too excited). Both were wrapped in a faux-wood wallpaper/laminate, but with no indication of whom it was from. This was what Kevin got:

A Parker pen and pencil set, and a red Spacepen, inside a glasses case. Inside the glasses case were 3 random slips of paper, 1 looks to be an address, the yellow has 2 phone numbers, and the other is a Voter stub from Santa Barbara County, dated November 7, 2006.

I got a sweet Vintage View-master with tons of awesome slides.

Whoever this mysterious gifter is, I thank thee!

Vacation? What's That?

no matter how much work i do, i always feel behind. although the semester is over and i'm on winter break, that does not mean vacation for me. i just stopped by Flock Shop yesterday to drop off some more stuff for consignment. i never got around to listing all the leftovers from Co-Lab. in the back of my mind, i know i probably could've made a killing on last minute holiday shoppers and now i have to hope people are looking to gift themselves post-xmas. i'll be spending all of today photographing new items and listing them. as well as making new tags. it seems that i can never have enough tags!

don't even get me started on my portfolio. i'm purposely only taking 6 units next semester to force myself to work hard on my portfolio to get into the BFA for Graphic Design. all-the-while trying to grow my company... well for starters...get to the point where i can deal with the legal stuff and write off yarn purchases on my taxes =)

being a one woman machine gets tough but i wouldn't have it any other way.