Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Morning hours

Sunshine in bed.

The sun didn't quite decide to pop out until 8:30 or so this morning. Considering my entire apartment was shaking as if a mini earthquake was occurring due to construction on my street, I had awoken much earlier. I took the hazy clouds as a sign to allow myself some time to relax, reveling in a few happy thoughts before forcing myself up to start another busy day. Laundry remained unfolded and coffee didn't get brewed. That extra hour this morning felt reserved for soft music, the cat purring nearby, and watching as the light forced it's way through the shades slowly but surely.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Happy (belated) St. Patricks Day




Well this past Saturday was a day to celebrate all things Irish! Most people think of it as a day to wear green and have one too many drinks however, having to work most the day, I did not participate in that particular part.


Guinness Storehouse, learning to pull the perfect pint. Dublin, Ireland.




I did however get to enjoy a few things on behalf of the Emerald Isle this weekend!


I baked chocolate Guinness cupcakes with Baileys cream cheese frosting.
Tried these for the first time 3 years ago and they've become a staple ever since!

Created a print at NotDesign for the occasion. Slainte, meaning cheers in Gaelic, seemed like the perfect greeting for the holiday.


I also spent the weekend constantly reminiscing. After living in Ireland for a few months I feel connected to that country on a level that means way more than just my genealogy. I posted a photo on St. Patrick's Day last year and honestly, even a whole year later and I don't think I could have phrased my love for Ireland any better.

"To the country who taught me to slow down. Where I learned to whistle, drink beer, and dance the ceilli. Where I got to hear folk tales, climb castles, and learned to believe in fairies again. For a country who proved that sometimes even the little guy can stand up for what he believes in no matter the cost. A country where I met some of the most amazing people and fell in love with the countryside. Here's to Ireland! Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Slainte!"

Yesterday was a gorgeous day outside. I enjoyed brunch, worked a few hours, and ended the evening with a Bulmers Irish cider and a pizza with a few good friends. Apart from the green dress I wore, the day wasn't perhaps the crazy Irish holiday others indulged in but, to be honest, I have no complaints. To me St. Patrick's Day isn't about that, it's about remembering the greatest adventure I ever embarked upon in a country that I love. (Though an excuse to drink a few Guinness and listen to Flogging Molly never hurt!) Until next year...
La Fhéile Pádraig Shona Duit!

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Aurora adventure

Photo taken by the oh so talented Ted Bingham.

Last Thursday a few friends and I spent the evening chasing the sky. We drove to the coast of Lake Michigan in our attempt to see the Northern Lights. Despite the cloud cover, whipping winds, and very chilly weather the night turned out to be worth it all. No, we didn't see dancing lights but we did listen to great music, shared ice cream in the car, star-gazed, and talked until the early morning. Even Mother Nature dumping a little freak blizzard on us around 3 am couldn't take my smile away.

Something in the air.

This has been one of those weeks. You know those days where the sun is shining and no matter what happens the day really can't go wrong? Even a week filled with eight hour work days and meetings made me feel productive rather than stressed. This was the first week of really nice spring weather here in Michigan, 60 degrees and sunny seems somewhat unheard of for early March. My evenings were spent running outside, in shorts no doubt, and enjoying drinks and good conversation with friends.

This is the kind of moods where I can't help but feel like something is in the air, something good. I find myself yearning for adventure. Sleep seems less necessary and uncertainty is always around the corner...yet it surprisingly feels nice rather than terrifying. Perhaps it really is my body and mind's preparation for the summer months. Summer to me always seems filled with that "anything can happen" attitude. Though the hot weather can get irritating, the thought of waking up in the morning throwing on a sundress, grabbing a piece of fruit, and heading out the door to wherever I may be spending my time that day causes a lurching feeling in my stomach similar to that you get before a first kiss.

This summer, the first spent in my downtown GR apartment, I expect days spent in the studio for hours, iced Americanos constantly surging through my veins, and as much time outside as possible. I expect to travel to new places, visiting friends who I miss terribly, looking so forward to spending time in their new homes. I expect to bake more, read more, and stress less. I don't expect everyday to be like a vacation, I know this is a time where important decisions need to be made, growing up always comes with it's fair share of painful decision-making. However, I expect summer to help me out there as well, to remind me that life, like summer, is just one big fabulous, and equally scary, adventure. So, I have to dedicate this post to the sunshine pouring through my living room window and for hope of weeks of this something in the air feeling to continue.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Studio in-betweens.

A lot of times, especially with design work, the process is usually more rewarding than the final outcome. Test prints, happy accidents, and "Ah-hah!" moments are some of the things I look forward to most when working on any sort of project. For some reason that's something I was reminded of today. It's far too easy when you get so busy with meetings and deadlines to forget to enjoy the journey as much as the destination. As a result, here's a few photos at NotDesign of some of the in-betweens I've had going on lately.


I love that there are probably 4 or 5 different prints on top of one another on this one.
The best part? They were probably all printed by someone different, how awesome.