While We Are Young

5 Things I'm Thankful This Week:

(Photo Credit)

The new Mumford and Sons CD Will burned for me

(Photo Credit)

Halls for my sore throat

(Although I've really want Ricola)

My birthday being in T-minus 2 days 

(or 3 if you actually count Sunday, I never can decide exactly how that works)

Hopefully that my plate will be just a little more empty after this weekend

(and I finish editing images and making flyers and creating blog posts)

My adorable, mischievous puppies

Title: "Whispers in the Dark" by Mumford and Sons

And I Pledge Myself Allegiance To a Better Night Sleep at Home

     I just discovered dried veggies.  They are awesome, specifically dried okra.  It tastes just like boiled okra without the stringiness (and with crunchiness).  It's completely amazing.  Just saying.  You should try it sometime.

     I've been super exhausted and stressed today (and all this week), but that didn't stop me from enjoying shoe shopping (for my birthday!).  I found the most adorable boots (that have sparkle to them!).  I'll have to share some other time.

Title: "Fader" by The Temper Trap

Give It, Give It, Give It Until You Just Can't Give It No More

     I just found out that last night that yesterday was apparently National Sibling Day.  There are so many national and international "themed"days, that I'm sure if someone sat down and put together a working calendar almost every day would be covered.  (And that's not true yet, I'm sure in a few years it will be.)  We love our national appreciation days.  For real.  Not that I mind really, I love my siblings.  And even though we're halfway around the globe from each other (or just an hour away...) we still just talk to each other like we've just ended a conversation.  I think the last photograph we were all in together was from Thanksgiving last year.  Somehow we all ended up wearing gray.  I'm pretty sure that was not intentional.

     Also, I have early birthday flowers!!!!  I can't believe that I only have exactly a week until my birthday.  It's on a Wednesday which means I'll be working.   Oh joy.  But according to my mother, life can't stop just because I have a birthday.  Which I kind of already know because I've ended up making my own birthday cakes for the past few years (which might have to do again this year), but I'm not really complaining.  As long as I don't go completely cooking/baking crazy after this weekend.  I'm planning on making at least 5 different pumpkin recipes plus a sweet for my birthday plus maybe something else for a Monday meeting, I'm not 100% sold on bringing one of my pumpkin things, but maybe I'll change my mind.

Title: "Tightrope" by Yeasayer

Never Play It Safe

     Have you ever been blown away by design?  As in there was one moment where you just stare in awe at the said design whether it be a poster, flyer, image, or business card.  I can hear in my head a kid saying "WHOA!" really slow and almost under their breath.  Then again, I am known to have some geekier moments fairly often.
     I've recently had that reaction to a couple of different designs, more specifically to two designs that I can remember.  Of course, I'm not going to share the awe-inspiring designs. One design more than the other has really stuck with me as just beyond comprehension.  Once you see the image and then a close up, you'll understand.
     Meet the "Tree Rings" poster for Animal Concerns Research & Educational Society.  They wanted to "raise awareness on the plight of Earth's animal species due to deforestation."  So what they came up with provides the insight that the lives of animals start and ends with trees.  All of those rings you see of the tree, yeah those are individual animals.  Below the poster is an up close image where you can really see the animals.  How awesome is this poster?  (And how creative?)

(Photo Credit)

     The second poster is more applicable to my own life (and can serve as an inspiration).  I recently volunteered to create a flyer for an upcoming event.  (I'm hoping I can convince them a poster type something would be awesome too.)  This poster is for a local event (proceeds are going to buy wigs for women going through chemotherapy who can't afford them).  I think my favorite part about this poster is the women's silhouettes.  Also, I love the company that created this poster, Harvest Creative.  They are out of Memphis, TN (which is really close to me)!

(Photo Credit)

Title: "Push and Shove" by No Doubt featuring Busy Signal and Major Lazer

Hold Your Breath and Count to Ten

     I keep feeling overwhelmed.  I think I'm enjoying pushing myself until it comes to my favorite part of the day (nighttime) and then I'm like a zombie.  Worse than that I keep thinking about waking up in the morning.  I don't like being an adult and having a real job.  I just want to do things when I want to do them.  Yes, I know I'm completely and utterly selfish and self-centered.  I'm working on that.
     I took some senior pictures Saturday afternoon and I thought I'd share one.  What do you think?

Title: "Young" by Dog is Dead

Notice Anything Missing Like... My Clothes All Over the Floor

While my room is sometimes decorated by my clothes on the floor, I try to keep it clean and decorated with other, prettier items.  Here are a few things I'd love to have decorate my room.

1.  Multi-Colored Light Garland, $29
2.  Ombre Velvet Pillows, $188
3.  Abate Slatted Mirror, $298
4.  Pinwale Alphabet, $14
5.  Seattle Wall Clock, $40
6.  Paris Wall Clock, $40
7.  "A Bit Prissy" Poster by Samantha Hahn, $75

Title: "This is the Thing" by Fink

Lost in the Sound

So I guess it's that time of the week again.  Here are the five things I'm thankful for this week:

My parents come home today.

(No more dealing with this alone.)

Even though my puppy is a holy terror right now he can still be sweet and lovable.

(At least as long as you give him attention.)

It's almost that time of year again. 

(I turn old in nine days--that's one week and two days if you need it broken down.)

I survived the week.

(Even if I felt sickly more than once.)

This week wasn't overrun by Rush.

(I loved my college years especially because of Kappa, but there was never any love lost between me and Rush.)

Title: "Kyoto" by The Electric Sons

I'll Point You to the Places That We Went

     Today has been a day.  I took pictures of my first event last night.  While I was nervous at first (like always) I pretty much fell into a groove and took so many photographs.  I have already edited over half of them, but my bedtime interrupted the rest of my editing.  I have to say it was a lot of fun.  Only thing I would do differently is wear different shoes!  My feet were not happy to stand in my super cute stilettos for three and half hours (and I don't really blame them).  I was almost hobbling as I walked to my car.  I'll post the final pictures as soon as I get to work on Monday, but until then here my favorite image so far.
     The event was a Great Gatsby themed wine tasting.  It was cleverly named "The Grape Gatsby."

Title: "The Undercurrents" by Maximo Park 

Lose If You Have To

     I haven't really been feeling well recently.  It could be a mix of exhaustion and dehydration or just a bug or something.  It doesn't really matter, I just haven't been feeling well at all and it's making everything else feel a little overwhelming.  Luckily I have a puppy who can be pretty loving when he wants to be.  It almost makes up for how much mischief he can cause.

Title: "The War" by Josh Records

I'm Like a Jack of All Trades Who's a Master of None

     If you hang around me long enough, you start to realize that I love to dabble in a thousand different things.  Trying not to sound braggy and this next sentence don't really belong together, but I'm going to say it anyway and you're going to have to take at face value.  I have found that I'm pretty decent at a great number of things from knitting to writing to (sometimes) styling to photography and the list can go on and on, just don't ask me to tell you a story (without writing it down first) or draw something.  This past week really has put me to the test and I've loved every minute of it.  When I say I'm a fast learner, I'm not just repeating what everyone says.  The one thing that I still need to work on is performance under pressure.  While I can usually make things up on the fly, I'm much better at problem solving when I don't feel too rushed.   I just need to figure out how to slow down and speed my brain up so I can think through things.  However, I will have to admit, like the title, I may dabble in a lot of things, but I'm no expert at anything.  I think that might the way that I like it.  But it would make it easier for me to figure out what I want to do with my life if I had an outstanding favorite.
     I keep having these big ideas that I still want to follow through on, but sometimes I feel that I need more knowledge than what I have (but reading those kinds of books are some kind of awful for me).  So maybe the books aren't that awful, but it's just so dense.  That's one of the main things that puts me off of books--when the reading takes a lot longer than you think (even while you're reading).  Plus now when do I have the time?  I could stick to the thousand other things I love to do, but where's the fun in that?  Not to mention the fact that the main thing I'm talking about is making my own perfume (and I guess I really don't have to know the history behind perfumes to figure it out).  This perfume making I want to do is going to be tricky because I don't really want to use any chemicals (just pure natural things).  I haven't been able to wear perfume in about three years and every time I think about it my heart breaks again because I love the smell and just the general idea of having memories associated to a certain smell.
     There's my inner reflection for the week.

I'm so glad I have these big scary guys to protect me.

Title: "The Grand Optimist" by City and Colour

I'll Just Try to Keep Up

     If I had planned better, I'd be talking about design right now and how amazing it can be.  But I didn't.  So instead I'm just going to share with you a funny video put together by whatever Texas team Ole Miss played last weekend.  There have been so many I can't keep them straight.  (I looked it up, it was Texas, so descriptive right?  That's how I had no idea what team it was, I kept thinking I was missing something.  But nope, it was just Texas.)  Of course, we won lost.  No surprise there, but it was our first game of the season to lose (BIG surprise there).  Anyway, it was a huge game.  I saw Facebook statuses where some of my friends couldn't get cell phone service in the grove on FRIDAY.  Yeah, that hasn't happened since the Presidential Debate (so many people came the cell phone companies put up extra tower thingys, we've been good in the grove ever since).
     A group of fans made this video about the grove.  While it does portray Ole Miss in not the greatest light, you've got to think that they probably interviewed a ton of people and most of them probably got the answers correct.  I couldn't even answer some.  Not too surprising since it's all about football and I don't really know much about that subject.  

     I'm headed down to Oxford for what sounds like just the first half of the day.  I'm hoping it will go well, but who really knows.  This whole week has been so hectic, busy.  Ready for the weekend!  (And for my parents to get home.  I'm finding out that I'm really going to have find a job where I don't have to be out of the house all day or I can take my puppy to work.  Oscar is going to be a heck of a trouble maker if he's left alone ALL day especially inside.)

Title: "Travelin' On" by Norah Jones

So Piece Together Woes and Broken Pictures

     Have you ever heard a song and thought you recognized it (as a completely different song)?  Some times artists sample songs in their music.  Wikipedia describes sampling as "the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or sound recording in a different song or piece."  Basically, when you sample something in music it's like taking a direct quote from a song (with the beat and original voice included).  Artists are using this more and more as it's becoming a more acceptable form of creativity.  I guess what I don't understand is how taking whole sections of another person's song and putting "your" spin on it is being creative.  To me, that's like me writing a story that has the exact plot line as Star Wars (but of course set in a different place and time) and then trying to pass it off as something completely new.  It's not.  Sometimes the sampling really does work though, it flows in the song, and well, I guess you can see it as something of a popularity contest.  You could measure how good a song really is as too how many people have sampled it.  Tons of hip hop songs have sampled Coldplay music.  I found an article that compares the best ones.  I can't really blame the hip hop artists because I love Coldplay, too. 

     One thing though that gets me is the whole copyrighting of it all.  Shouldn't the artists have to acknowledge the song (artist of the song) they sampled or is it the public's duty to be informed enough to realize when a song is being sampled?  Usually my favorite parts of a song are the ones that are sampled.  Mostly I tend to also not realize that the song has a sampled part in it and I tend to get a little sad when I realize I'm not giving credit to the right people.  There is actually a website I just found WhoSampled that has complied all samplings under one site.  At least I think that's what it does.  It's pretty cool, they have a place where you can compare the original song vs the song that where it was sampled.  It gave me the idea to share a few with you.

     What do you think of song sampling?  Have you noticed it more and more these past few years?  If you have noticed it, does it make you want to go back and listen to the other song (like it does me, if I can place it correctly) or do you get something completely different from the new song?  Are you enjoying the sampling?  Does add a depth to the song or does it detract?  And what do you think about the whole crediting issue?  Does the new artist deserve all the credit?  If you are fond of sampling what do you think about mash-ups?  Do they annoy you because it's too many songs in one or do you enjoy the DJ-partying feel?  (Do you even have clue what mash-ups are?)

"Something's Got a Hold on Me" by Etta James

Sampled in "Good Feeling" by Flo Rida

"Harder Better Faster Stronger" by Daft Punk 

Sampled in "Stronger" by Kanye West

"Funeral" by Band of Horses

Sampled in "The Prayer" by Kid Cudi

Title: "How Could I Complain" by Pete Lawrie

Oscar and Jack say hi!

Take a Look Inside My Heart

I LOVE the fall trend of leather (I love leather in general!).
1.  Vegan Leather Handbag, $109
2.  Neon Leather Geometric Necklace, $72
3.  Gorjana Graham Leather Triple Strand Bracelet, $68
4.  Rachel Roy Oxford Pumps, Jacqueline, $295
5.  Cavalier Original Leather Duffle, $1,695
6.  Cole Haan Riding Boots, $498
7.  Geometric Earrings, $40
8.  Jewel Geometric Earring, $38

Title: "Don't Give Up on Us" by The Maine

Sunlight In Your Day

5 things I'm thankful for this week:

Being an intern

(There was really a model in the middle of this but I don't want to spoil outfits)

Finding photos like this on my phone 

(I seriously can't wait until Fall when these trees are ORANGE!!)

Coloring with this amazing girl

Having distractions 

(like the craziness Oscar left for me to clean up after him)

(he even had that hook in his MOUTH!)

Remembering how to draw a puppy dog face

(I just might be a geek and possibly 10 years old)

Title: "Haunted Heart" by Little Hurricanes

You Just Jump a Little Higher

     The weekend is finally here.  Wishing you a more relaxing weekend than this turtle had this morning.  May whatever college/SEC football team you root for win (OleMiss).

Title: "Taller Children" by Elizabeth & the Catapult

That's Cool, But If My Friends Ask Where You Are I'm Gonna Say

     I've been a busy, busy bee.  Yesterday I traveled all over the upper part of Mississippi gathering items for Click's Fall Fashion shoot coming up (for our October issue, but it's happening like now). Then I took a few senior pictures for a family friend around the Collierville square.  Finally I attended the Literacy is Key Author Reveal party.  It was awesome.  There are some pretty amazing authors speaking at the event in January.  The line up is Courtney Miller Santo (an up and coming Memphisian), Claire Cook (author of Must Love Dogs, the novel), and Mary Kay Andrews (a name many of y'all are probably already familiar with).

     I saw this music video this morning and the song has been stuck in my head ever since.  I love it.  I love the Mexican influence (instruments) plus who doesn't sometimes feel this way after a break-up?  I definitely think Train has the right idea making this their next single.  It's just so dang catchy. They also know how to make some pretty awesome lyrical statements.  (My mom was unable to attend the Kappa function with me... so I guess that relates... weak, I know.)

Title: "50 Ways to Say Goodbye" by Train

If This Would Be a Perfect World

     Yesterday, September 12, Apple released the new designs for the iPhone 5. The photos on the website are rather sleek. It's supposed to be smaller (thinner really) than its brothers, but who can really tell from the photographs and drawn out dimensions? Not me. What I can tell is that the glossy glass has taken on more of a matte look and the universal USB that connects to so many of our Apple products is being replaced.  Instead of using a USB, iPhones are now going to use Thunderbolt.  Thunderbolt was introduced with the MacBook Pros starting in 2011.  It is supposed to be the fastest connection available.  While the world is getting used to having to use a Thunderbolt connection for their iPhones you can buy a converter that will allow you connect accessories you already have that require the special iPhone/iPad 30-pin plug-in (I think that's the correct terminology but I could be wrong.)  There are tons of other little major upgrades that Apple has made to the iPhone.   Shoot panoramas (with an even better camera), LTE data network capability, a bigger and better retina display, a map system that is more like a real GPS (it can talk and detail your turns), a more intelligent Siri, and of course new headphones (that re-imagine the way you listen to music).  Plus you can get the iPhone in black or white the first day it comes out!  No more waiting another year for them to come out with a new color.  If you're ready for this new phone, you'll have to wait until September 21 (but that's not too far away).

 (Photo Credit)

(Photo Credit)

     Today is Mary Kay's 50th anniversary, that's a huge milestone.  In order to celebrate right, Sondra (my boss) had me make up flyers for a sale of which I'm pretty proud.  I love being able to use my talents at both of my jobs.  Plus once I finish a task like this one, I'm satisfied that I did a good job.  (I think I'm pretty much a closet perfectionist.)

Title: "Americano/Dance Again" by Glee Cast (Kate Hudson)

Cult and Culture

     One thing I always find fascinating around this time of year is Fashion Week!  Although it is a little confusing if you think about it.  Fashion week was just last week, but it was for Spring 2013.  Am I the only one that think it's a bit weird?  I guess for buyers and manufacturing purposes I can understand why they have to be a whole season ahead, but when I'm looking at fashion I want to know what is about to come into play, not what I can wear in six months when the weather starts to get warm again.  I'm the epitome of the American public, wanting demanding everything right now as soon as possible.
     I think my favorite thing about Fashion week happens even before any of the models walk down the runway.  My favorite part is the release of the new Pantone colors each season.  Pantone is a company who uses color for "accurate color communication" basically "Pantone" colors are the standard in design, fashion, media, anything that has to do with colors.  If your job involves the manipulation of color you've probably heard of Pantone.  Before each fashion week, Pantone releases a prediction of what ten shades will be most popular on the runway.  You can see these ten colors everywhere.  (Pantone recently teamed up with Sephora to create a collection full of color.)
     I wanted to compare how much things have changed over the years (two years, four seasons).  In their report, Pantone also uses input from designers and has multiple sketches of outfits by different popular designers to show off how the color might be used.
     I am so sorry that the sketches I'm showing you are turning out blurry.  Once upon a time, I made sure that my blog knew to have pictures a certain size and now I'm stuck to it and I don't know how to get out of that size.  Once I figure it out I will have the images fixed, but until then you can always click on the link to see the sketches at their true glory.  The sketches I have provided are by no means the only sketches!  They are just a few that caught my eye and made me gasp.

Women's Colors Spring 2013

 Men's Color Spring 2013

 Grayed JadeMonaco Blue

Nicole Miller

Women's Colors Fall 2012

Men's Colors Fall 2012

Ella Moss

Barbara Tfank

Women's Colors Spring 2012

Men's Colors Spring 2012

 Nanette Lepore

Tommy Hilfiger

Women's Colors Fall 2011

Men's Colors Fall 2011 

Mackage

Tommy Hilfiger

Title: "The Paper Trench" by Admiral Fallow