productivity.

Daniel and I have been in Florida since Tuesday night...so far, I've gotten a lot accomplished! It's felt good to get caught up on some design projects, wedding photos, craftiness, etc...I've still gotta finish that quilt though.

Here are some of the design projects I've been working on!

(I apparently have a thing for cut-out text now.)

Logo for a baby gift company in Huntsville, AL. (Version 1)

(Version 2)

Logo for The Purple Albatross Theater Company in Washington, DC.

Gig poster for Hackberry Records artists Sparrow + the Ghost (Tuscaloosa, AL) & Elias Patriot (Florence, AL).

Probably one of my favorite posters to date. I like that little ghost.

And now some photos from a wedding I shot back in May. Tia & Jeff were so much fun to work with! I wish them all the best in their life together.

Today is my mom's birthday...I think we're all going to take her to dinner later. I suppose I'll work on baby Isaiah's quilt today.

OH!! I hadn't already said this...Daniel's sister gave birth to our beautiful nephew yesterday!!! I'm so excited! 

This is the photo that Gabe (Daniel's brother-in-law) posted on facebook last night.

LOOK AT ALL THAT HAIR!!! Oh my gosh...I'm already in love.

Gotta get that quilt finished for him!

5 things...crafty edition.

Again, I'm a day late. I have an excuse this week though...Daniel and I drove down to see my parents in Punta Gorda, Florida yesterday...a whopping 14-hour drive from home. We've been absolutely worthless all day. Simon got to play with Mac's puppy Arabella...she's a Scottie (of course) and she's absolutely adorable. I was so excited they got along! Simon's not good with other dogs. Anywho, I'm going to get this post going so I can go to bed. I'm still worn out.

1. Embroidery.

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I spent a few hours in the car yesterday embroidering some cards for my parents. I'm terrible at getting things in the mail on time (for birthdays, holidays, etc.) so Mom's Mother's Day present and Dad's Father's Day present made the trip down with us...we were halfway here when I realized I didn't have cards for them...so, since I'm in the business of making cards, I decided to make some for them. I was really happy with the way they turned out...I'll have to grab some photos of them later & get them posted. Mom's was my favorite...it's just says "happy mother's day" in cursive with some curly designs in the corners...but it took me 3 hours to stitch it. She loved it though.

2. Crocheting.

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3. Letterpress.

(all photos from weheartit.com)

I would LOVE to get my hands on a letterpress...I've looked up tutorials on instructables.com on how to make one...but I just don't have the tools to do it right now. I would love to start doing more graphic design work to sell on etsy (mostly wedding/other social event invites), but I really, REALLY want them to be letterpress...and there's just nowhere at home that would do it reasonably enough for me to print through them. If I'm going to do it, I'm going to have to do it myself.

4. Hand-written typography.

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One of my favorite things about doing any sort of graphic design is sorting through hundreds of fonts to find the perfect one...I took a typography class my junior year of college and it absolutely ruined me. I'm completely obsessed with type now. (I know...I'm such a nerd.) I can't look at anything now without analyzing the type on it. Lately though, I haven't had the time I would like to devote to finding new & exciting fonts, so I've been hand-drawing them...and now I can't stop. The past few posters I've designed have all had hand-drawn type...my boss loved them so much that he's asked me to design a tattoo of his son's name (which, by the way, is Battle...so awesome) for him...and I'm working on 2 logos for clients that wanted hand-drawn text. I love it so so much. I think it just has so much more personality than most fonts can offer.

5. Clean studios/craft rooms.

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I'm DYING for a huge craft room/studio all to myself...but for now, I share mine with Daniel & all of his guitar equipment. In case you were wondering, his equipment takes up a ridiculous amount of room...especially considering he has 3 combo amps of various sizes, 2 large speaker cabs each with their own heads, 12 guitars (9 electric, 2 acoustic, 1 bass), 2 washtub basses, harmonicas, an electric organ...etc. I have been confined to a corner. I want a huge room that is organized (much like these photos) with a chalk board wall for me to scribble & sketch on (I sketch better when I can do it BIG...my shaky hands don't allow for small details) with lots of windows & natural light and shelves EVERYWHERE. I love shelves (clearly since they were on a previous "5 things" post).

Well, I've had a significant amount of coffee today and I'm still crashing. Simon is glued to my side (as usual) and the husband is starting to look sleepy. I hope to get some crafting done tomorrow...today was a good day off though.

Time for bed.

father's day.

Yes, I realize it's almost over...but I've been busy today.


I am so incredibly blessed. My dad is one of the most incredible men I've ever met. He is without a doubt the most hard-working man I've ever known. He has been an amazing father and role model my entire life. When I was in junior high, the company that he'd been working for for 25 years was bought out and he took a huge pay cut and lost all of his seniority...he was nearly ready to retire at that point. Because he wanted to do what he felt was best for our family, he found a better job working for Florida Power and started working there the summer before my freshman year of high school. For the entirety of my high school career (all 4 years!), my dad worked in Florida while we were still living in Sheffield...we couldn't sell our house. It was so hard on all of us. I missed him so much everyday...I was always a daddy's girl growing up. I constantly followed him around when he was outside working on projects and did whatever I could to help. However, when he broke out the table saw (or anything else loud/dangerous for that matter), I would stand at the backdoor and cry because I was scared he was going to cut his fingers off...or something ridiculous like that. (I've always worried far too much for my own good...it's why I just learned to ride a bike 2 years ago...seriously.) 


My dad has always worked to give us everything that we could possibly need/want (within reason), and I can never repay him for that. He taught me to work hard for everything I want and never take anything for granted...and for that, I am thankful. I know the value of a dollar...I know the feeling of accomplishment when I attain something that I've worked hard for...and he taught me those things (along with countless others!).


So, thank you Dad...I love you and I'm sorry that I wasn't with you on Father's Day. (But Daniel and I will be there Tuesday!!)

(photos by the lovely Sara Renee Murray.)

Also, I am SO blessed that I not only have an incredible father, I have an amazing father-in-law. Daniel & I were fortunate enough to get to spend time with him this afternoon.

Well, kiddos...I think it's time to retire for the evening. I've got SO MUCH to do tomorrow...Daniel and I are heading south on Tuesday to spend some time with my family. I haven't seen my mom & brother since February and I haven't seen my dad since the day after my wedding (which was exactly 6 months ago!!!!). I can't wait to give them all hugs...I'll probably cry...and I get to see all the furry babies!! They now have 4 Scotties...we'll see how Simon gets along with all of them. I'm trying to be optimistic.

Goodnight!

oh, saturday.

I love waking up to storms on Saturday mornings...but I had to open today, so no sleeping in. I hated leaving Daniel all snuggled in this morning...I'm sure he loved it though. He likes taking up the whole bed and that proves to be difficult when I'm using half of it. I wanted to ride my bike this morning, but the rain definitely prevented that. I've only been here a little over an hour, but it's already been a very eventful morning.

Everyone's favorite pawn shop owner was waiting for me when I got here (he opens at 9 as well and likes to get his coffee beforehand). Normally, I'd be really annoyed that he was waiting for me...but I was running about 10 minutes late this morning...I like to allow myself at least 15 minutes to get all the opening tasks finished and got here at 5 til today. I told him I worked at Rivertown yesterday and then immediately following work, shot a wedding. He didn't know that I was a photographer but promptly started grilling me about camera equipment and whatnot. I actually enjoyed talking to him today.

Today is definitely a French Kicks kind of day...my French Kicks Pandora station is perfect for storms.

Also...I looked up while I was making a latte earlier and saw a girl writing something while she was standing at the register...shortly thereafter, I found one of our markers where she was standing and noticed this is my tip jar.

(I blurred out her last name and part of her phone number.)

Annnnd...Carrie! I've had 2 different people try to buy my necklace off of me...haha. I get complimented on it every time I wear it, too!

Sorry it's not a great photo of it...I'll try to get a better one later. I got this from The Appleseed on Etsy! The Appleseed is run by a lovely lady named Carrie that I met while I was a student at the University of Alabama. She's super-crafty & posts lots of inspiring things and tutorials over on her blog...you should definitely go check it out! I've been on the lookout for some branches to make a jewelry stand based on one of her tutorials.

We're supposed to be having a Trunk Show for the Art Hive here at 3 today...it was storming this morning and is still pretty cloudy, so I'm not sure if that's going to happen or not...I hope it does! I've been working like crazy all week to get some new stuff made. I got a few record clocks finished and 2 wood clocks as well...the bigger clock hangs funny (which I didn't check until last night), so it won't be for sale today...I've got to figure out a different way to hang it. I'm excited about getting some photos of all of my stuff and getting them online though!

Goal for July:
-open up shop on Etsy

Ok, it's been busy this morning and I have more customers coming in...so, that's all for now.

I'll try to post some photos from the trunk show soon (if it happens)!!!

PEEK!

Here's a sneak peek at the first clock I finished...well, it's almost finished. I still want to put a clear coat on the wood. Also, Photo Booth doesn't do the colors justice at all. The bluish color is more of a seafoam green and the hands are actually a shade of orange.

I've got another one nearly finished that's on a smaller piece of wood...plus, I got some records prepped this afternoon and all the hands painted...I'm not sure if I'm going to print something on them or hand-paint a design on them or...well, I just haven't decided yet.

Any thoughts?

OH! and I got my card reader back from Keely earlier...so there may be a huge photo update post either tonight or tomorrow. I'm excited! =)

5 things.

A day late, again...I know. I don't really know why I'm working on this right now seeing as I have a terrible headache and staring at the screen isn't helping any. My other plans for the afternoon require me being up and moving and I just don't feel like that right now...so, 5 things.

1. Hummus.

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I made some at 11pm last night because I've been craving it lately. Daniel and I have been eating healthier lately so this is the perfect snack! I have a pretty basic recipe that his mom gave me...I'm not sure where she got it from, but I know she adapted it to her taste...and I've done the same! I also cut up lots of fresh veggies to have them ready to snack on...I do better if I take care of everything all at once. I'm a terrible procrastinator.

2. Scottish Terriers.

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Scotties are my favorite dogs, hands down. They have so much personality! I've loved every one I've ever had (which has been quite a few). Daniel and I adopted Simon from the Tennessee Scottish Terrier Rescue and he has been the best dog we could've ever gotten. If you're thinking about getting a dog, PLEASE consider adopting one!! There are so many wonderful dogs out there that need loving homes.

I love my little buddy...and yes, that is my husband in a kilt.

3. Clocks.

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I especially want that little suction cup clock for my shower. I've gotten my cell phone wet so many times checking the time while I'm showering.

4. High Waist Skirts.

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High waist skirts are so feminine and sexy! Super-flattering. Ladies, you have curves...please show them off...and if you don't have curves, you should still try a high waist skirt. Depending on the style of skirt, it can help give the illusion of curves.

5. This room.

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Oh my goodness...I would love to be able to have a space to do a mural like this...AND, I think I may now turn mine & Daniel's 4-post bed into a tent somehow.

Well, now is the time for me to stop blogging for the day and get to some of the many projects I need to finish this week. I've got photos to edit, wedding albums to design, tattoos to design (some friends have asked), furniture to paint, quilts to sew...the list goes on and on.

Maybe first I should go visit Daniel at work and get some espresso...I'm beginning to suspect this is why my headache hasn't left yet. I most definitely have a caffeine addiction.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!