hello girl.

been a long time.
sorry about that.

i'm still around. doing my thing.
focusing a lot on work +
trying to get back the energy and drive to do more on my own again.

good things happening at 16a. joe's new job is amazing and he's really happy (which is a major relief for me! i like seeing him inspired!!)...


his company is 321launch. check them out, they are a animation/compositing studio and that makes test commercials. their spots are great and most of the time look like they could go straight to broadcast... and they are only for test audiences! joe just finished some coke spots that i wish i could show you but not yet.

things at anthro soho are good. gearing up for our fall concepts which is always an exciting. i love changes of scenery. i am always eager to see what our art department comes up with for the new displays. i just got the july catalog so i'll follow up later with my top 5 again (sorry it's been so long!!)

it finally feels like summer here... june had crazy rain. not cool. but this past weekend was sunny and warm and so far this week has been too. we've started hearing the firecrackers in the evening which is exciting. i love 4th of july! ooo, now i want to make cupcakes with my leftover stars + stripes cups, lol. still easily distracted, lol. this year we'll be able to see nyc's and jc's fireworks from liberty state park... maybe i'll take a little video to share.

basides all the normal catch up stuff i have...


new hair! it was done at arrojo studio and i'm for sure loving + rocking out the blonde.

i could go on forever but instead here are the 10 best things about this spring/summer so far...

1. finally being able to spend more time out with these ladies...


2. hot-lantic city with my parents and joey...


3. photog + sushi city dates with my steady...





4. spending lots and lots of time with this bitch...

5. the dudley weekend.


although it was super sad to say goodbuy it was awesome meeting this lovely girl...


6. baking... cookies, cupcakes, brownies


7.

8. new phone!!
yeah kinda lame that my new phone is in the top ten but i'm totally addicted to my new pet... it has a camera and takes awesome video, great quality, and i can finally be online whenever i want to be (hence the increased volume of tweets!)

9. reconnecting with this face...

love you bry!

10. pride 2009.


it was a great pride... watch the march with dawn + kristi (who marched for the first time!!) and then followed up with a rooftop ph party at the dream hotel in midtown...







our group for sure wanted to celebrate the life of mj, we maybe got a little too into thriller... or at least i did...


anthro july top 5 coming tonight!!
love.

now i'm talking about...

the kids macking on my corner (do they still call it macking?)
computer in a new place.
starting on a new project that just might change everything.
wanting a new anthro outfit to go with those crazy cheap and amazing pair of boots i saw and didn't buy while joe tried on westerns fulfilling a no country for old men badass fantasy.
maybe they are still there.

missing friends.
summer plans.
new goals.

last time we spoke.

no more poladroids.

thank you kc for pointing out the obvious that i totally missed.
hehe. i'll admit it, i was a geek for that program but i've now given it up cold turkey.
for a bit at least.

busy week or so. keep meaning to take photos of some new art but haven't gotten around to it yet. i will. i have an exciting new project out in bklyn that i haven't really shared yet so i thought i'd get on it. my boy drew just got into this phat loft that i'm now working to clean up and re-decorate. it's going to be a process but it's such an amazing space. once it's for real fixed up we are going to be hosting many many events so keep a lookout and if you are in nyc we'd love to have you.

i can't even stress how freakin' amazing this space is so you'll have to see for yourself: loft photos: skizum studios

i'm also revisiting my band fantasy. started forcing joey to learn songs for me. we'll see what happens there. i really have yet to share on my blog (or really even with many friends) that i am an ex-vocalist. i miss the music and find myself putting together dream cover sets and jotting down random lyrics that will probably forever be locked away in my journal. but i'm in nyc and if i was ever to try to make good on my voice lessons and music school it should be now right?

so i think that's all the sharing i'm up for today. things with work are heating up again (yay for a new quarter) so i'm not quite around as much as i was but i'm making good on my one blog post per week minimum. and once i start shopping for the loft i'll have a ton of cool projects to rant about.

peace. love. and cocoa puffs.

in bklyn we go hard.

have a great sunday.
we are heading out to spend some bklyn design time with some of my favorite peoples.

little sistv love.

got some layout of the week love at sistv for drew's nyc layout.

and...

i'm on the catwalk too with my good week layout. (thanks ashley wren!!)

just wanted to share.
will do a real blog post tomorrow.
off to do laundry and get into some craftiness tonight.

f train.

inspired by kc's layered pages that i totally dig
also inspired by a very late train ride home with drew + joe + one for the road.
increasingly inspired by brooklyn, art, and possibility.

you can see the layers here.

anthro top 5.

kinda late for a long post but here we are.
i can spend hours going through the anthro.com
and it doesn't take long before my wishlist it overflowing with dresses,
blouses, jean, accessories, and home goodies.

but if i right now could only choose 5.
what would they be?

price will be a factor in this list. kinda.
i feel like some of my favorite pieces are actually pretty awesome price points.
so i feel a whole lot better when i come home from work with a little present for my closet.

so here we go...

1. side-by-side tunic: as you may have noticed i have this in the white/grey but it's just an amazing tunic that i might have to get in this grey/blue version. it's so comfy. and i see myself potentially getting too much wear out of it. and it's only $88. perfect.



2. button trio leggings: $54. not sure if we have these in the store yet but i love the extra button detail on these and can't wait to try a pair out. perfect with the tunic and a pair of flats! can't wait for it to warm up.



3. indian summer maillot: $198. i know, it's a bathing suit. but it was there, and it is perfect. i love this cut. i love the color stripes. would go amazing with the gladiators and a jersey dress. and a cocktail.



4. placated gladiators: $198. i'm kinda addicted to gladiator sandals. definitely not worth getting them yet but it's my top 5 and i obviously want to be on vacation.


5. there-you-were dress: $298. this dress is amazing. i'm thinking nicole's rehearsal dinner? maybe too much, but it's going to be july and i need an excuse to own this dress.



so there you have it.
maybe i should do a home top 5.
maybe tomorrow.
nite.

dear powerpc.

Megan Corkrey.
just sang and her voice is just amazing.
exactly my kind of artist.
can't wait to see if she delivers.

additionally...
her dress reminded me of a dress at anthro.
which led me to a 10 minute intense web search to find a photo to link to.
which then led to me putting some major thought into my current top 5 dresses.

this list is not yet complete. but i'm working on it.
really having fun working on layouts.
finally remember how it feels to turn out some art.
to see some things come into creation.
lost. love.

good week.

playing with monochromatic polaroids and papers.
although maybe yellow isn't the easiest to work with on this awful scanner.
but in person it's pretty groovy.

joe's making pork roast tonight.
i can smell it all over the flat.
yummy.

nostalgia.

though i'd share a layout that i've finally decided is finished, for now.
this is me. as a babe.
hard to put this one away as it's been sitting on my table for over a week now.
this has always been my favorite picture of me as a baby, which is why i was forced to snatch it from home (sorry mom). i have scrapped it probably 4 times, but when it came to the journaling i would get stuck. anything i wrote about this picture or about me or about whatever just never felt right. i want to be able to look at this photo in 10 years unswayed by what i was thinking about it in 1998 or 2001 or 2009.
so long story short, no journaling. no tittle. honor the photo, and i'm happy.

did i just say honor the photo? wow.

one more layout that i'm finally letting go of:


drew is moving into an amazing new space in dumbo and this is my housewarmin' gift to him.
me thinks we'll have an amazing time with this place.
i can't believe drew has been here almost 6 months, too much.
i guess we've almost been here a year.
time flies.

to dumbo.

off for a night with my three favorite guys.
i'm starving.

goodnight.

time for bed.
but i keep hitting cancel.

it's been a busy day, but a productive one.
joe's reel is up.
i got creative,
pulled out the sewing machine
and dyed my hair.
(not all at once)

it felt amazing to be on point today.
and now as tempting as working until 2am is,
it's time to save as and close up.

goodnight.

sweet coraline.

can't wait.
another stop motion masterpiece.

check out the fun website that i could spend way too much time on.
coraline

16a: home

hey there.
loving this poladroid thing that kc found via ginnybranch.

here are some more photos of the house.
living room, bedroom, long hallway, tiny bathroom...
so not a ton to show off. plus not everything is 100% how i'd like it to be.



i love my shelves. and we have just about all of our books out again.
we have a lot of built-in closets which i love.
but that's all of joe's room you get to see, it's his cave + my closet.



kitchen which i think i've posted before.



and then our diving room/studio is just off the kitchen. this is the opposite side with the swingy door to the kitchen.


that's it for now, back to work.

be water.

thank you ronny
for our morning inspiration.

Bruce Lee: Be Water, animated by Markus Gustafsson

go watch.
type. love.

scrapping today.
and trying to stay warm without the house getting too hot.
i love radiators and old houses.
i promised some friends some house pictures.
i will deliver.

and have a pleasant tomorrow.

nothing better than a brand new pack of sharpies.
broke one open last night and immediately hid the extras.
if i don't they'll all disappear.

painted my studio today.
working on my album this week for project 52.
purging a LOT of paper tonight too.

all in all a very productive day off.
finally!

(color: behr embellished blue
the house points west...
i painted only the north and south walls.
left the nooks white for now, but they may end up painted.
makes the room look more livable, and huge.)

tying up the loose ends

it snowed again this weekend. which was so nice because it was the perfect excuse to hole up after a few stressful holiday weeks and start fresh with 2009.

my project 52 assignment to myself was to tie up all the loose ends from 2008 . this is so important to me right now. i have so many new things i'd like to bring into my life this year and i want to make sure to have all the blocks taken care of right now.

so i got finished up with all the little bells and whistles i've been meaning to send out to people. this little guy is part of a group i'm sending out to my momma. there are some special vintage buttons on him (wood grain and little beak bead) were from my grandmother's sewing chest.


biggest block of 2008. my studio. as per usual. but it was something necessary to conquer and OUR back studio is about 5% away from complete. yes, our. joey and i are finally getting to team up more often and have some projects we are working on together. i can't explain how happy this is making me, and us. i love that we now have a space to plan and brainstorm and create together.

in celebration of a floor i hadn't really seen for months.


so as you can see i'm 365'ing it again. developing what i'm going to do with all the pictures this time not doing anything kinda sucks. that's next week's project.

caio

welcome.

2009.
no joke.

now it's time.
to clear out the rest of the junk,
and travel the path in front of me.
have fun. make goals.
get things done.
be positive, create my own reality.

joey + i rang in the new year snuggly and safe,
plotting and planning our future.
exciting things are coming, so it's time to get to work!

i hope everyone has a blessed 2009.
let's make things.

thank you bach.

so although i haven't been crafting lately, i have been hoarding.
a few weeks ago i found a lea pocket score in a used book cart for $1. and knowing that i didn't really want too spend a lot this year on new christmas papers, etc. i thought it would make a great base for my christmas cards.

i've never actually done a homemade card set for christmas. i always wait until the very last second and then pick up a set wherever. this year is different in so many ways... i won't be home with my family. we'll be in a totally new place and be "on our own" in a bigger way. (meaning i don't just help my mom put up ornaments... i have to figure out the whole thing myself!)

so i decided that i would do a very un-ambitious set of 12 christmas cards. they are loosely based on the "12 days of christmas". and they are supremely low tech. i really didn't want to buy any new christmas stuff so i enjoyed just pulling together my own bits. i'll show more of them as they go out to their owners.

today i'm doing more packing, crafting, and listening to the kids slide up and down the gray st. hill. (yes there is a parent, i was very happy to see!)

heading out

over the hudson...

off to stock up on supplies
hit up some sample sales
finish the christmas shopping

and then come home to make a big mess.

it was not like this 20 minutes ago...

all the sudden we were covered. i love it.
so we are here! winter. i feel like this year just ran full speed ahead and didn't give a thought to waiting for me. and now here we are.


i feel like we've survived a lot in 2008. the hugest craziest move. late furniture, new jobs. too much work and too little. but we've gotten through it. and we're good. and most importantly - i'm good and he's good. so we are having fun again. love it.

a bunch has been happening. the best part of the past few months hands down was spending thanksgiving break with my parents and sister here in ny/nj. poker. midtown. lady liberty. australia.

and now it's almost christmas and it's time to get going on 2009. i found a certain 24 before 25 and was amazed at really how much of it i had accomplished. frankly i didn't really put my all into that 24 but it got me thinking about all i could get done if i got off on a good start towards a new list of 26... so that's what the plan is.

to help me i'll be closely following julie's project fifty-two

okay so i'm now getting distracted by anchorman on tbs. back to my christmas cards and teddy grahams. thanks for hanging on with me folks.

september? really!?!

yo.
so i know i've been awful.
doing absolutely anything for me, or about me,
or just me has taken a serious back seat lately.
and i'm over it.

i know i owe a big explanation.
or actually, i guess i don't.
but i'll give one nonetheless.

anthro is anthro.
my dream job is a bit lacking, and technically i'm no where near my real "dream" position at anthro... so i think i've given it up a bit and am just living with my "reality" job until i can start doing something that's really a true reflection of my talents, potential, and experience. at least i'm surrounded by pretty things every day. and that i can at least still appreciate.

portraitbug is getting done. we are all so ready to get into the space it's ridiculous. i just want to see it done and open. i want to see everyone's hard work up on the walls, merch done, and smiling scrappers creating beautiful memory art in our studio space. it'll happen. for now our blog is rockin' and we are in the middle of 7 days of giveaways. our online store is open so check it out.

i'm reading a lot lately again. which is nice. currently working on...

it's a pretty freakin' fantastic book.
i've laughed out loud twice on the train.
people across from me thought i was nuts - and i am.
if you are a pop culture fanatic you need this book.

joey and i spent a day over at the rock last weekend...

i didn't tell joe but one of my major motivations was the potential stalking of a mr. michael phelps swimming hottie who happens to be hosting the premiere of snl. i know he's in the city. i must casually bump into him. i think i have about a 72 hour window left.

so really. to sum up.
work. walking.
not creating nearly enough.
but it's a new month right?

oh yeah... when is fall supposed to happen again?
because it's way too hot... and i'm yearning for some sweater weather.