Life Right Now * October 2014
Click to check out June, July, August, and September.
October was such a wonderful month! A little busy, a little crazy, but beautiful weather and some pretty awesome opportunities!
Right now in life, I am:
MAKING progress on our art gallery wall for the living room! I finally have all the frames I need, I just need to decide on their layout and put the artwork in a few of them.
COOKING soup. Along with more Artisan Gluten-free Bread, White Chicken Chili, and Cheese Stuffed Lasagna Manicotti. We also made our first Sunday roast of the season this month.
DRINKING water out of my new bkr water bottle. Love it!
READING (my favorite), again.
WANTING to spend more time outside in the lovely weather before it starts getting cold.
PLAYING not that much on the radio. More often than not lately, I’ve been turning my radio off while I’m driving and use that quiet as prayer/relaxation/mediation/thinking time. Surprising how centering and peaceful the silence can be.
SEWING nothing right now.
CROCHETING (in the photos above) a baby blanket for Drew’s great-niece, born this month. I’ve also been working on a throw blanket for our living room.
WISHING for a restful weekend. Last weekend was so wonderful, but so busy.
ENJOYING the gorgeous weather in New Orleans. This month we’ve enjoyed going on more walks around New Orleans and spent some time relaxing on a quilt by the Mississippi river soaking up the sunshine and the nice breeze. We also visited the Blues and BBQ Festival downtown while Drew’s parents were in town visiting.
WAITING until we have an IKEA in New Orleans! So we visited the last weekend.
LIKING I hand-lettered. From Anne of Green Gables, of course. (and the one above)
WONDERING what life was like and .
LOVING our sweet little kitten, Violet!
HOPING that I meet a lot of my creative goals in the next year.
MARVELING at how nice it is to have a little kitten to come home to and to be excited to see you/spend time with you. Our lives must have been incredibly boring before we got her!
NEEDING to paint more, and blog more, and design more.
SMELLING the wonderful aroma of Sweet Olive trees.
WEARING a for my work’s Nursery school trick-or-treating! (nude colored sweater (a dress would have been better) Starbucks logo, white feather boa for whipped cream and gold Mardi Gras beads for the caramel)
FOLLOWING (new to me) designers Leah Duncan and Elizabeth Olwen after meeting them and seeing their fabric designs at Quilt Market last weekend.
NOTICING how places .
KNOWING that exciting things are to come in my creative career! So inspired after meeting so many of my favorite fabric designers at Quilt Market.
THINKING a lot about my future, my creative passions, my career, and what I really want out of life. course and Quilt Market have been so invigorating to me!
BOOKMARKING this devotional to read at our Staff Meeting next week. So often I get so stressed/worried/anxious spending time trying to solve all my problems and I forget to stop and pray about them. Let Go and Let God.
CELEBRATING seven years together with my sweetheart this month.
OPENING this new . LOVE it!
LAUGHING at .
FEELING thankful for little Violet and her ability to make us put our phones and computers down and spend time sitting on the floor jiggling around a stuffed mouse. Here’s to slowing down and enjoying the moment.
Quilt Market
Last weekend, a dream of mine came true. I was able to attend Quilt Market!
For those of you that don’t know, Quilt Market is an international trade show for the fabric industry. Manufacturers, Fabric Designers, Pattern Makers, etc. are all there with their booths decked out displaying their newest collections for shop owners to see and order fabrics for their stores. This market was in Houston, TX.
If you’ve followed my blog or known me for a while, you might know the obsession I have with fabric, the fabric designers that I adore and have mentioned on here before, and more importantly, my dream of becoming a fabric designer one day (or more broadly, a surface pattern designer). I work full-time as a graphic designer now, and between that and my art background, it has been a long-time dream of mine to gradually move in the direction of surface pattern design. I’ve been so busy working since I finished college that I haven’t had a lot of time to put towards that dream, but lately that dream has been invigorated as I’ve taken ‘s on CreativeLive. (I highly recommend her course and her !)
Bonnie Christine (above) is one of the sweetest people that I’ve ever met and I was so happy to be able to chat with her in person this weekend! She immediately felt like an old friend that I’d known forever! (Although I guess I have followed for almost 5 years!) Her story is so inspirational to me as her background and goals are very similar to mine. I also just love her work (and her passion for sharing with others to help make their dreams come true too!).
The entire market was full of inspiration everywhere. I love Leah Duncan‘s patterns and style (above). I also loved seeing Katarina Roccella‘s patterns in person as well (I didn’t get a good shot of her booth, but you can see part of it in the second picture, above). I also saw Elizabeth Olwen‘s fabrics in person for the first time here as well (I thought I got a picture of her booth, but can’t find it, so it must not have taken!). All three of those designers are pretty new to me, but I loved seeing and being inspired by their work!
One of the highlights of my visit was getting to meet and chat with Amy Butler (probably one of the most well-known fabric designers!) and her husband. They were both so incredibly sweet and were more than happy to answer my questions about the industry and what inspires them. Amy Butler was so encouraging of my dream, she told me to work towards my passion and great things will happen!
Anna Maria Horner (along with and Sandi Henderson) was one of the first fabric designers that really caught my eye. I started following their blogs years ago and they are a good part of the reason that I also want to design fabric. It was awesome to meet Anna Maria Horner in person after all these years of being inspired by her work!
I saw ‘s booth, but didn’t see her. Next time!
Many of my favorite designers have also come out with ribbon collections. These are seriously so beautiful and I was so glad to see them in person since I don’t think they are sold in any stores around where I live.
Aside from meeting and chatting with designers, I walked around, checking out booths of designers I’d never heard of before and just admiring all the beautiful colors and patterns. The quilts were so gorgeous, as were all the other cool things designers had made with their fabrics.
I’m so grateful for this amazing opportunity. It gave me great insight into the fabric design industry, into how quilt market works, and the chats I had with the designers were so helpful and encouraging (and also had a good dose of reality too). It really has started to make something that always seemed like a long lost dream a truly achievable reality!
Thank you for making it happen!
Click to check out June, July, and August.
Right now in life, I am:
MAKING progress on my goals for creative self-improvement! I’ve been and hand-lettering (I joined the New Orleans Lettering Arts Association), I’ve been working on a few logo projects, I’ve started on , I’ve been blogging more lately, and I’ve been working on a much needed blog re-design! (more to come with all of this in October!)
COOKING many loaves of Artisan Gluten-free Bread, making lots of yummy Fall soups, such as Chicken Tortilla soup, White Chicken Chili, and Creamy Potato Soup with Sausage and Kale, and baking up some delicious Cheese Stuffed Lasagna Manicotti.
DRINKING mostly water, as usual. A little bit of sweet tea while .
READING , still. Drew and I have been reading a little bit of it in the evenings together before bed. Lately I’ve really been wanting to re-read Anne of Green Gables (my absolute favorite book ever).
WANTING to have time to get through next month! I’ve watched a little bit of it live and I’ve bought the course to watch, but I just haven’t had time to make it through it yet (working full-time makes it hard to have time for all this creative stuff!). I’m so excited about this though. For the longest time I’ve wanted to design fabric and I’m excited to start actually making surface pattern designs and see where that leads!
PLAYING country music on the radio.
SEWING nothing right now.
CROCHETING a baby blanket for Drew’s niece’s baby. Just finished it today!
WISHING for an October filled with lots of time outside.
ENJOYING the gorgeous weather in New Orleans. This weekend is the first weekend we’ve been able to have the windows open. Absolutely LOVE this time of year!
WAITING to hang our living room gallery wall until I have all the pieces painted/framed/collected. Getting closer! I did get a few frames this weekend that were on clearance at Target!
LIKING the we did last weekend and the we saw.
WONDERING where I can find an old church pew for my foyer/dining room.
LOVING that the hot Summer temperatures are mostly gone and Drew and I’s 7 year dating anniversary is coming up in October! (yes, we still celebrate that!).
HOPING that I meet a lot of creative goals next month.
MARVELING at the change in seasons. In New Orleans, it doesn’t look much different from season to season, but it feels so different. I love this quote:
“There is indeed, something inexpressibly pleasing in the annual renovation of the world, and the new display of the treasures of nature.” -Samuel Johnson
NEEDING to paint more. My Art Studio Inspiration Wall is inspiring me, now I just have to make the time to sit down and paint!
SMELLING the first Sunday roast of the season in the oven cooking as I type.
WEARING ballet flats again! It is still warm enough outside here to wear flip-flops/sandals, but I’ve started making the Fall transition to flats lately.
FOLLOWING along with . So inspiring to see everything that people have been able to create since taking her class. A great motivator! See more work from the students that have taken her class so far, .
NOTICING nature around me lately. Drew and I were walking around for Art’s for Art’s Sake last night and I kept stopping to take pictures of pretty things.
KNOWING that things change, often for the better. Missing Kelly (our Associate Pastor I had the pleasure of working with over the last year) and her family as they move to Seattle, Washington. Enjoyed a lovely farewell lunch for her at last week. (photo above)
THINKING a lot about my future, my creative passions, my career, and what I really want out of life.
BOOKMARKING I want to read, I love, I really want, and whose work I really enjoy.
OPENING my new iPhone 6! I got it on release day! It is the first time I’ve upgraded my phone (to a brand new one) in almost 5 years, so it was much needed!
LAUGHING and enjoying time with friends while watching a in the new Yulman Stadium. A totally different experience than Tulane football was when I was in school! (they used to play at the Superdome downtown).
FEELING thankful for the church I work at and the 20/30s program there. I’m enjoying forming closer friendships with lots of great people. Loving our Friday afternoon .
Life Right Now * August 2014
I’m really starting to enjoy blogging again now that I’m doing these monthly posts. I love being able to look back on what I’ve been up to. Click to check out June and July.
Right now in life, I am:
MAKING our house pretty. Over the last month we’ve painted our , our , and the connecting the two rooms.
COOKING homemade gluten-free blackberry pies (turns out it is a family tradition! My great-grandmother used to make fabulous blackberry cobblers from blackberries she picked in the backyard–the same backyard I grew up in), rice crispy treats (first time I’ve had those in forever!), and eating lots of fresh cherries. (along with other more sustainable things, you know) I also baked my yesterday!
DRINKING a pineapple juice/orange juice/grenadine/rum cocktail every so often.
READING .
WANTING to get some more paintings done, print some more prints, and open an Etsy shop.
PLAYING over and over again (Drew is obsessed!) and (it made me cry. I’m so sentimental.).
SEWING new curtains for the living room from plain white sheets.
CROCHETING a throw blanket for our living room.
WISHING for for our apartment. Love it!
ENJOYING our freshly painted house and how different (better) it feels.
WAITING to hang our living room gallery wall until I have all the pieces painted/framed/collected.
LIKING , , , hiking, and with (my husband, sister, her husband, nieces and nephew). Sweet little Gig was my little shadow all last weekend. :)
WONDERING why I decided to chop half my hair off! I miss my long, wavy/curly hair. Short hair is so much maintenance!
LOVING that summer is slowing down. The last few months have been so busy! Looking forward to a quiet fall.
HOPING that my hair grows quickly!
MARVELING at the ability of sweet little kids to help you slow down and take life in.
NEEDING to paint more (mostly actual paintings, but there are a few more walls here that need to be painted too).
SMELLING fresh homemade gluten-free apple and blackberry/raspberry pies Blair, Gigi and I made last weekend. Made with apples we picked (photo above) and berries we bought because I’m obsessed. This was the fourth berry pie I’ve made this summer.
WEARING more black and white lately. I even bought some black skinny jeans last weekend.
FOLLOWING the “one-minute rule” lately. Don’t put off any task that takes a minute or less to accomplish.
NOTICING lots of stars on our visit to the country. I wish we could see the stars better in New Orleans. I love this quote, “If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I bet they’d live life a lot differently.”
KNOWING that I need to spend a little more time on our “curb appeal.” Our rosebushes need to be trimmed (they’ve grown like crazy in the last year!), weeds picked, more mulch spread, some other potted plants need to replace our current ones (our little potted rosebushes constantly struggle with black-spot like crazy. Time to replace them with some simple little boxwoods.) Maybe in September I’ll tackle that.
THINKING a lot about self-improvement and happiness. Fall seems like the perfect time for a fresh start. Love this quote I read today, “Happiness is a collection of small, pleasurable moments.”
BOOKMARKING . Oh how I wish our couches looked like that one! (someday…)
OPENING up my creative endeavors by joining the New Orleans Lettering Arts Association! First meeting is next weekend! Can’t wait to learn some new calligraphy techniques! I bought some new supplies this weekend! My new version of “back to school” supplies.
LAUGHING at at a roadside Farmer’s Market.
FEELING thankful for quality sister/niece time last weekend, a weekend getaway/time spent in the country/nature, and for our beautiful, cozy little apartment to return to.
P.S. This past week (September 4th, to be exact) marks 4 years since my first blog post here! Happy 4th Birthday Icing on the Cake blog!
RAW Artists Exhibition * New Orleans
As you may remember from my mention in this post, I was part of an art exhibition in New Orleans this past June. It was sponsored by RAW Artists and you can see my RAW profile here. It was a long and crowded evening downtown with a variety of art and entertainment. There were visual/fine artists, jewelry artisans, music performances, fashion shows, and performance art. It was an interesting evening, but I’m happy I had the chance to participate.
The best part of the show was that it really pushed me to create new work. The top nine paintings on fabric/canvas were new for this show. The only ones I’d shown before were the small framed ones from my BA Exhibition. It was also great to have this show as a push to work on updating my branding.
Lots of family and friends either came out to the show or expressed their support which really means a lot! If you weren’t able to make it, watch the video below to hear a little more about my inspiration or read my artist statement below.
I have always had a love for art, a desire to create, and a passion for making things beautiful.
“I AM GOING TO MAKE EVERYTHING AROUND ME BEAUTIFUL — THAT WILL BE MY LIFE.” —ELSIE DE WOLFE
As both a person and an artist, the world of my childhood—growing up in the country surrounded by nature—has always been my biggest inspiration. The organic forms, deep, complex colors, rich contrast—the ever-changing landscape is endless inspiration to me. I grew up in rural Southern Illinois on land that has been passed down through my family for generations. Before I started school, I spent every day with my grandmother, who encouraged my love of watercolor painting and being creative and who established the foundation for my personality and moral beliefs. My grandpa wrote stories, fished every day, and grew a huge garden that I helped him harvest. I loved snapping off the ripe asparagus, helping my grandma cook, and feeling the country breeze while laying in the hammock in their backyard. Just down the road was my own house, where I climbed trees and ran through the creek with my sisters and brother, helped my dad work in the yard and feed our chickens, and helped my mom plant flowers and herbs, cook and bake. Throughout my childhood, my mom imparted to me her creative knowledge—sewing, hand embroidery, cross-stitch, smocking, machine embroidery, knitting, crocheting, and basket weaving. This home-made, home-grown, down-to-earth, appreciate-the-simple-beauty upbringing encouraged me to develop a simple and creative life that I still strive to maintain.
“IF I WERE CALLED UPON TO DEFINE BRIEFLY THE WORD “ART,” I SHOULD CALL IT THE REPRODUCTION OF WHAT THE SENSES PERCEIVE IN NATURE, SEEN THROUGH THE VEIL OF THE SOUL.” —PAUL CEZANNE
Living in New Orleans over the last several years and finally having a space to call my own has also given great influence to my work. There is no other city like New Orleans with its rich history, abundant nature, brightly colored houses rich with architectural detail, and vibrant color combinations. I’m so intrigued by the color harmonies found in the world around me, particularly those that can be soothing and exciting at the same time. I’ve always associated certain colors with particular things—days, people, memories—and I enjoy exploring those connections through my work. My first love has always been painting, but I enjoy mixing mediums and incorporating drawing, pastel, fabric, sewing, embroidery, quilting and pattern into my work, exploring how those elements can intertwine with paint to create images. One of my aesthetic and conceptual goals is to somehow marry all these different elements—mixed mediums, neutral and bright color combinations, the contrast of subtle and bold, thick and thin brushstrokes, paint drips, pattern, lines, shapes, nature and the domestic world—into a quilt of sorts, all parts orchestrated together to create an abstract moment of beauty, a complex image made up of simple parts.
“THE MAIN THING IS TO BE MOVED, TO LOVE, TO HOPE, TO TREMBLE, TO LIVE.” —AUGUSTE RODIN
As pretty as most of my inspiration is, not all areas of life are picture perfect. Often the greatest and most meaningful moments of our lives are also seeped with sadness, hurt, sorrow and loss. My art aims to tell these stories and explore these personal histories—the good, the bad, the beautiful and the I’d-rather-forget—illustrating the struggle, but choosing to see the good in those memories, moments, periods and people, choosing the kind word over the bitter one, letting the good overshadow the bad, living a positive and uplifting life despite the circumstances, seeing the beauty in the imperfect, and focusing on a heart of gratitude for the beautiful imperfections in these moments and in our lives. I want to take those moments and turn them into something both beautiful and tangible, to inspire and uplift through the expressive form of grace, the way only art can do.
If you want to check out more of my artwork, you can visit my portfolio website, here.
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