Lofty goals

Okay, so I've got 3 major "goals" for 2009. I'm not calling them resolutions because they aren't. They are goals. Just to make that clear.

Number 1:
Design, sew and finish a quilt.
-I got a sweet quilt frame for Christmas
-I have been collecting fabric
-Geoffrey's grandmother is going to help me
-Main thing to do right now is find the right pattern/figure out how to create my own

Number 2: Participate in a triathlon.
-Geoffrey and I are officially starting our training this evening (Dec. 30).
-We have a training schedule that will allow us to participate in a sprint tri in May. (May 17)
-We are trying to figure out where we will do the swimming part of our training. Right now it's between the YMCA and Columbus Ave., but we may be able to swim at MCC. They are closed for the holidays right now, though.
-The Waco olympic tri is the weekend of July 25-26 and is officially called "Tri Waco." I get to design all of the promo materials for this tri...and maybe even the web site if I can swing it.

Number 3: Learn web design.
-I've decided against classes at MCC or TSTC. I think that I am going to use lynda.com and learn as I go.
-I may start with a simple portfolio site of my work.
-I need to purchase a domain name so that I can have a place to put my web design online.

The web intimidates me. So does quilting. So does a triathlon. But it sounds like 3 things that can help me focus on something and feel productive. And successful. The good thing about the tri is that Geoffrey and I can do this together. I'm excited about that. Web design will help me in my career and will probably help me snag a better job in the future. The quilt will be fun, I think.

I'll close with 3 photos I took yesterday around the suspension bridge. An amusing acronym for Waco. Notice the nasty water. That's where we'll be swimming for the Tri Waco tri...

FontStruct

best. thing. ever.

this was my late christmas present from the internet. i knew he was looking out for me.

for all of my faithful followers...go waste your time.

Merry Christmas!

Okay, so, I need a better camera, but you can still see that Christmas actually threw up on this Waco home. Wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas!

And I just wanted to share that my dog has an attitude. She didn't want me to take her picture, if you can't tell!

ALICO

On Friday, I got to take some pictures from THE TOP of the ALICO (American LIfe Insurance COmpany) building here in Waco. Could be the coolest thing I've done all year. Well, besides getting married of course! The nice guy who runs the ALICO took Chris (a co-worker) and me up to the roof for a "downtown" photoshoot. The letters on the top are even cooler than they look from the ground.

That reminds me. My prof David Shields from TX State U., and his buddies (i think) have a web site worth checking out. brownsarm.com. worth checking out.

merry christmas all!

"Hurt" Johnny Cash

Thanks to Jessie Taylor for posting this on Facebook...and curiosity killed the cat.

I did this with Geoffrey's IPOD, by the way.

put on Your iTunes on Shuffle.
1. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
2. You must write down the name of the song no matter how silly it sounds!

If someone says, "Is this okay?" You say?
"Get off my cloud" The Rolling Stones

How would you describe yourself?
"In the flesh" Pink Floyd

What do you like in a guy/girl?
"Go or go ahead" Rufus Wainwright

How do you feel today?
"Amazing Grace" Christ Tomlin

What is your life's purpose?
lol "Lay, Lady, Lay" Bob Dylan

What is your motto?
"Blow up the outside world" Soundgarden

What do your friends think of you?
"Wherever I may roam" Metallica

What do you think of your parents?
"Take to the World" Derek Webb

What do you think about very often?
"Disappear" Bebo Norman

What is 2+2?
"Brother John" Blues Traveler

What do you think of your best friend?
"One in a Million" Guns N' Roses...right on

What do you think of the person you like?
lol..."Beautiful Loser" Bob Seger

What is your life story?
"Magic" Andy Davis

What do you want to be when you grow up?
"On the road again" Willie Nelson ...so true

What do you think of when you see the person you like?
"Forty" Ben Richter Band

What will you dance to at your wedding?
"Brighter than Sunshine" Aqualung

What will they play at your funeral?
"Twisted Logic" Coldplay

What is your hobby/interest?
"Peaceful Easy Feeling" The Eagles

What is your biggest fear?
"Worlds Apart" Jars of Clay

What is your biggest secret?
"Heavy" Collective Soul

What do you think of your friends?
"Hold On" Shawn McDonald

What will you post this as?
"Hurt" Johnny Cash

New photos

Camp Eagle

This is where we were in mid-November. Geoffrey led worship at a retreat for
FBC Fredricksburg. (Nov. 14-16)
(click on the photo for the complete gallery.)

Photos from Taylor Dodgen's wedding are here. (Nov. 20)

Photos from the Highland College Fall Retreat are here. (Nov. 7-8)

November was busy, but definitely a fun month. I can't believe I didn't take any photos at Thanksgiving, though.

And finally...the finalized save the dates for the Addy awards.

And Alexis Cooper's Save the Dates are at the printer right now!
It feels good to complete things.

it's december again!

can't believe it. so many things have happened this year. so many things. but this thing i know for sure: i've been battling the same thing for as many decembers as i can remember.  and it is that if i am not wearing my hair tie, it is on my right wrist or i can't find it. well, most of the time, i can't find it. i place it somewhere special. like next to the sink when i take a shower or on my dresser next to my jewelry box. if i'm lucky, i fall asleep wearing the little hair tie and it gets lost while i'm sleeping. so it's a search for the hair tie almost daily. you would think i could just go and grab another one pretty easily. but i like the one i've been using for the past couple of months and i intend to use it until it breaks or forever hides itself from me. that's just my hair tie. if i know where my hair tie is, then it is almost certain that i am looking for my lip gloss. my lip gloss stays in one of my three purses all the time. the problem with that is my need to change purses on almost a daily basis. i change out my purse as i am running out the door...brown purse with brown shoes, black purse with black shoes, and sometimes it's just whatever i grab. so my lip gloss is usually in the wrong purse and if it is in the right purse, then it likes to hide under all of my other stuff. just out of my reach. this is my battle...hair ties and lip gloss. it's one of those underlying battles that only comes to the surface a couple of times a day, but i've been doing this for years and i just wanted to get that off of my chest. i think maybe i'd like three new lip glosses (one for each purse) and a package of GOOD hair ties for my birthday this year.

by the way, if you didn't know it already, we are officially in a recession and have been since december 2007. i've given up understanding all of what that means, but i do know that i am thankful to have a job right now...

december is going to be pretty busy with design work. both at work and after work.

that's december. i need to put some pictures up or something. this blog is getting boring fast. or maybe you should just check out niceisdifferent's blog on the side bar. pretty sweet.

Blogging all day

I'm making a to-do list on my blog today. As I think of things, I'm going to type them in.

-Watch all of the Friends episodes
-Make some photobooks out of some of my pictures
-Work on the quilt that I haven't started yet
-Work updating my new business cards and letterhead (with new last name)
-Christmas shopping
-Figure out where and when i can take web design classes

Works in progress

Business is booming. Well, yes, we are really busy at the Chamber, but I've been spending quite a bit of time working on stuff for the upcoming Addy Award invites in Waco and a poster for the After Egypt women's conference here in Waco. All free stuff of course. Where's the money? Haha. At least I'm getting to do some stuff that I love to do.

Here's a preview of the Addys.
It's a 007 (I mean, 009) theme this year.

This is definitely a work in progress. The save the date (above) will be expanded and elaborated on in a poster (call for entries) and invitation suite (for the awards banquet)
More on the Addys here.


This the After Egypt poster. More on After Egpyt here.

Next up: Save the Dates for Alexis Cooper's wedding and finalizing a project that's been going on since June.

Made some caramel apples, took pictures

Before

After

That's all I got right now.

I'm a nerd today.

Virginia the Greek and Jill the Geek

Chamber emplyees showed off their carving skills today. I did mine (right) last night. I couldn't think of anything cool so I ended up just doing shapes all the way around. I think it turned out pretty sweet. And of course someone at the Chamber HAD to bring in the We Do campaign!

My pumpkin from the top. Niiice!

And drumroll please...I've been working on getting all of my pictures sorted out....and here's the debut of my new photo gallery! Enjoy.

100,000 miles = 100,000 problems

I've been keeping a close eye on my car for the past couple of weeks because I'm weird. I wanted to take a picture of when it reached 100,000 miles. I missed it by a few, but I did get a picture.

We had to replace the starter on my car yesterday, and the guys who worked on it gave us a list of about 10 things that needed to be done to my car as well. Yay.

And I still can't figure out what to be for Halloween. At this point, I'm thinking it will be something thrown together on Friday morning before work. I'm leaning towards wearing some comfortable pjs, mocassins and my robe.

what should i be for halloween?

i've been searching high and low for three months now, and i still can't decide what to be for halloween.

ideas:
sarah palin
vincent van gogh...i'd make my ear bloody and dress as an artist. (too morbid, although i think it is funny)
pam from the office
my dog abbey (wear all black and make some ears, walk sideways, and wag my rear end uncontrollably all day)
one of the disciples
a tree...wear all brown and make some kind of hat with branches everywhere
i think i still have my fro somewhere...
all out 80s garb (except where is my crimping iron?)
a bride...i've got the dress and the veil
a biker...where i ride my bike to work and wear my skin-tight bike shorts, a tshirt, and my helmet
ghost (put a sign on my chair that says please don't sit here...i'm actually here...and not show up for work all day)

help me! i need some better ideas.

i think geoffrey and i are going camping this weekend. with abbey. i'm excited because i think fall has finally arrived!

It is time...

...for a new post.

so here we go.

in the past couple of weeks, i've been to the Heart O' Texas Fair & Rodeo...

Wiener Dog Races

Quilt display

Rodeo

Funnel cakes

Good ol' country jellies and veggies

...to Coco's for chocolate ice cream in a homemade waffle bowl...

Just down the street on Bosque...heaven

Their awesome light-up palm tree...that would probably be a better fit for Miami

Sweet neon signage at Coco's!

...and I've been working like crazy on: a t-shirt for the sax section of the Lobo band, a paper system for Penny and her necklace, a booklet about her necklace, figuring out where to go camping, cutting out crazy images to paste into my sketchbook that i will fill with collage (inspiration: here), writing/doing weird stuff in my new journal that Kimberly sent me (you should look here to learn more about it), loving the Connection Group that Geoffrey and I are leading at Highland, joining Highland, eating at George's, making fried pickles and fried jalapenos from scratch for the first time, painting very small canvas paintings that I'm not very happy with right now, watching the Office on Fridays, hanging out with the Godfreys, becoming friends with Lauren G. again...we were besties in like fourth grade, and learning what it means when Christin N. talks about finding her identity in Christ (where's mine?)...

Now that I've posted, I'm going to try really hard not to wait so long.

Oh yeah, and I've been wasting my time doing this. I got a 4!

I can't believe I haven't posted in almost 2 weeks.

That's lame. I'm going to have to do better at this. Main reasons: frustration with work, busy-ness at work, and travel.

I went home to East Texas this weekend. A Lobo football game. and I love the house I grew up in. And if my sentences don't make sense...i don't care.






In other news, I'm trying desperately to figure out who I am going to vote for in the presidential election. I'm just not sure this year. I don't really like the fake-ness of either candidate. I also don't think they can live up to all of their promises. I just want people to be honest with me.

It took about 15 minutes...

...to get to work this morning. Geoffrey and I commuted on our bikes. It was glorious.

Before

After

Gallons of gas: zero
My old roommate Morgan surprised me with a new shirt yesterday (kelly green with a white bike on it...), and I guess it inspired me to go ahead and try it one day. I'll be doing this again. But not tomorrow, I have to use my car during work...

I love letterpress.

If there is one thing that I'd like to learn how to do or be able to use in one of my own print jobs sometime, it is letterpress. I hate that I could not afford this for my own wedding invitations, but maybe someday...before it's too late. You should watch this video.


FireFly Letterpress from ilovetypography.com on Vimeo.

I keep finding blogs to subscribe to. This is addicting. And wonderful.

If you are an American Express Cardmember...

Go vote on this porject here. It's pretty cool.

Rainbows

"And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." Gen. 9:12-16





These top 2 were taken on our way home to Longview from Waco right before our wedding (June 25...wedding was June 28). It was a rainy drive, but definitely a beautiful one, too. I took pictures most of the way...I'm pretty sure Geoffrey was VERY ready to get there.



I love rainbows. No lie. Geoffrey and I saw one last night as we left Walmart. I had to get a new battery yesterday. Anyways, I always try to get a good shot of a rainbow...sometimes I only have my cell phone camera with me, though. I don't think you can really capture how pretty they are on a camera either.

I like these photos.

A note from Geoffrey's Uncle Bill and Adrienne's painting in the background. I think they look cool.



And one with our wood floors in the background.

pretty fun weekend. and it looks like next weekend might be too.

My parents came to visit and we went to Lake Whitney. It was a lot of fun. We jumped off some cliffs and went swimming a little.

We also had our friend Amanda over for breakfast yesterday, and that was some good catching up. And I took a nap in the afternoon.

Geoffrey and I also invented a new game. It doesn't have a name, but this is what you do: turn your IPOD to shuffle. You get 3 chances to guess the next song. The first 2 are the bands that you know you have a lot of songs from on your IPOD. The last one is a band that you don't have a lot of on your IPOD. The first 2 bands would give you one point if one of those bands is the next to be played. The last would give you 2 points. There are some exceptions though. My third band was DC Talk--Jesus Freak. Its worth 5 points. Geoffrey won with the Beatles on Sunday night.

p.s. i think we are going to see the new show going up at AMOA this weekend.

TGIF

I got some print samples from Canada yesterday. I like these stamps that are on the envelope that the samples came in.
I'm thinking I'll go to Anchorage, Alaska on vacation next year. Right around May 23.

Why? Go here.

downtown waco...old and wonderful

i took this photo at lunch today...well, i took it and then i doctored it.

downtown waco, our neighborhood, cameron park, lake waco dam, the lions club park slides and starbucks are my favorite places in waco.

i heart our house.

blog blog blog

i'm trying to figure out what the purpose of my blog is. maybe its just about stuff that catches my eye.

i was going to put up some cool pictures i found of ghost signs, but i think i'll just let you look on google. i found a ton of other blogs with these pictures, so why have one just like everyone else's? i do like ghost signs though. and until yesterday, i thought you just called them old signs. wrong. i'll have to take some shots of some waco ghost signs soon.

some of my blog is about design because i like design. but, to be honest, i don't like design right now. i love it, but i don't like it right now, if that makes any sense. i think i'm a little disillusioned by what design means and does. my first thoughts are that if someone who isn't a designer can tell you how to do it, then what makes you a designer? but, of course, designers must work with other people. but how much should those other people dictate your design and identity?

i think that i am starting to become a student of design. sure, i went to school for a degree in design at one of the best places in texas, but that doesn't mean learning is over. in fact, i think it is only just beginning. where do i go from here? i'm trying to develop some kind of a style, some kind of a design identity...something not dictated by everyone else. maybe this blog will help me work some of this out. maybe not.

in other news, i asked mrs. b for quilting tips

here's what mrs. b says about quilting:
http://quilting.about.com/od/ragquiltpatterns/ss/floral_ragquilt.htm

"You might look at this design. Sort of similar, very cool. I just get ideas from quilting websites from the internet. That quilt is VERY easy. You just need three compatible fabrics--probably 1.5 to 2 yards each, depending on how big you want to make it. If you want it to be REAL big--bed size, I can help you with that. I just got a machine quilting frame and it is much easier.
Anyway, just sew fabric strips together and cut the final fat strips into squares. Then, sew the squares together. The size of the border is up to you, depending on the size of the quilt you are trying to make. I just look at quilting websites to get ideas. You might look at allpeoplequilt.com and hgtv has a quilting section also. Since you don't have a lot of equipment, I'd try doing the strip quilt by tearing your fabric into strips--it should come out straighter. They also now have these fabulous strips on a roll, but they are sort of expensive.

Happy quilting!!
Mrs. b"

I think I already have 1 or 2 of the 3 fabrics I might need. but i'm picky, so i'm not sure.

Adrienne Brabham, my friends

Adrienne painted this for us for our wedding. We love it. It's hanging in our dining area. (not room, though...the bikes are in there, too)

Adrienne also has an etsy.com account, you can view that here.

Her color choices are always so unique. She has a real eye for combining colors that you would not expect. It challenges me to think differently about colors that I would put together.

Did I mention she's getting married?!

When Photoshop goes bad.

More local design stuff...and a process

Blue Bike Marketing
Randy McCauley Designs
Woodward Creative Group

I'm trying to think through a lot of stuff about design in my head. Like the process of creating.

What is my process like at work?
1. receive information
2. gather thoughts/ideas
2.5 a couple of sketches
3. create
4. approval
5. edits edits edits
6. save and done

But what do I want my process to look like?
easier asked than answered....something like this:
lots of information gathering, lots of sinking in and learning and sketching and discussion, more sketching, get to a place to take some ideas further, flesh out, critique, critique, critique, redo, critque, polish, polish, polish, ta da! i dunno....

Johnathan Harris

This guys work is awesome.


Go here for more cool stuff from Ted.

New computer, new world

that's right! welcome to my first post from my (our) new computer. i (we) love it!

hello freelance work. goodbye boring evenings when geoffrey is doing homework.

we are new fans of hotwire.com. there is a small adrenaline rush as you wait to find out where you will be staying. we did that this past weekend and ended up at a Crowne Plaza in Austin. it was really nice (similar to a Hampton) and in a great spot.  try it sometime. like the next time you visit waco, tx.

i'm pretty excited about this coming friday. i'm going to a small advertising conference in temple, and rod ulrich of the richards group will be there. he works on the chick-fil-a account. as an added bonus, one the keynote speakers is kayne gillaspie from season 3 of project runway! miss usa wore the dress that he designed at the miss universe pageant.

local design websites: 

Zeal Design Studio

Pollei Designworks

McKinleyBrown

JB Herrmann

My typeface wish list

Maybe I'll just ask for typefaces for Christmas from now on...

Gotham
Requiem
Neutraface
Sign Painter
ITC Bodoni Six


I'm also thinking of a typography tattoo. That's just a thought though, I can't handle the pain.

And for if you're interested in the history of Comic Sans, click here. I think I may have a slightly different perspective about the typeface now. I still won't use it.





This is what I came up with yesterday.

Inspiration while at work on Thursday.

I'm working on a logo for a program at the Chamber called "Great Cities" and all I can think of is the Great Wide logo.

Barkley Creative
Logo Lounge
Be Positive
Pandora

Purchases

I bought 3 different fabrics this weekend at the Style Station in between Waco and West.

I'm buying a macbook pro this week.

Sweet.

D-sign.

okay. i've been thinking about what i would call my own design firm if i ever get the chance to start one. my new last name is davis, and design starts with a d. soooo...i might be on to something here.

if you click here, you can see just how many davis design firms already exist. so that wouldn't work.
in fact, waco has it's own "davis design studio." it is an architecture firm.

davis design in denver is a graphic design/ad firm. and their stuff is just ok. and my firm couldn't just be ok.

the new masthead on my blog has a d and a sign. Get it? d-sign... haha. anyways. D-sign wouldn't be a good name either.

so...i dunno. just something else to think about.

i like these design firm names, though: (or maybe just their design)
McGarrah Jessee
The Decoder Ring
Entermotion Design Studio
AM Design
many more

words that cannot be in the name: pixel, byte, creative, graphic...and design is iffy, too.

i like this one.

http://mccallsquilting.com/qb/pattern_1001/

It's called Party Hats.

quilting

i made a t-shirt quilt during college and it is terrible. last night i decided i would start stitching around the designs on the quilt to make it more quilt-like. i was terrible at it. but this is only the beginning.

last weekend i bought a rotary cutter and a self-healing board so that i could start making a quilt. i have a book that explains how to do stuff.

my goal: finish a quilt by this time next year.

i want to use vintage fabrics, though. and i'm having a hard time coming up with those. so i'm just beginning.

i like these fabrics. and these.