{a bit of weekend inspiration}

okay, yes...totally lameface to do two posts in a week along the same lines but i haven't had much time to be creative the last few days...thus i am borrowing from others ;)

so i hope you enjoy my dose of weekend inspiration...i tried to pick things that weren't on a lot of other blogs so they would be fresh ideas. enjoy!

1. french general

about a year ago my grandma sent me an email telling me that i would love this shop she'd found...and good heavens was she right. all i can say is that you must, must look at everything on this site. the pictures alone are enough for me...but the gorgeous products are even better. be sure to check out the sequins, glitter, and notion kits to start!

2. lovelydesign.

this site is brilliant. functional, simple, beautiful products any paper junkie would love. it's brilliant. and lately i have been on an all out address file kick, so finding this was great {gotta love google!}. if you want more address file goodness look here, here, and here.

3. pattianne stevenson

i happened upon this site by chance and ooh i am glad i did! this is the kind of cake you can enjoy again and again and never feel guilty about...the cardboard variety. so pretty, so genius.

4. rifle at renegade craft fair

rifle is one of my favorite blogs. i'm a big art/calligraphy kind of person, and she does the kind of work i dream about doing. browse through this blog! you won't be disappointed!

have a splendid weekend!

-kate

{i want to marry joshua radin}

because all of his songs are amazing. seriously, listen to them. they are exactly the kind of no frills songs i want some guy to sing to me one day. one of my favorites is i'd rather be with you...the lyrics are great but so is the guitar ;)


i love it so much!!

soooo i decided to make a book {gasp i know it's about time, aren't you proud of me??}

more on my flickr.

i wanted it to be simple, no frills...like the song. so i used corkboard for the covers, so it would look natural, but i don't know how i feel about that choice. sure, it looks nice but you try to open it! it's a good thing i have thumbs of steel or you wouldn't have any pictures to look at. the photos in the book took so long to pick out...i wanted each page to match a line of the song. it's not my best work but i definitely like it...and it fits the weather outside today.

have a happy tuesday!

-kate

{what? when?!}

hold the phone.

are you serious?

september is gone already? it's really, truly october?!

why was i not informed? where did september go? and, more importantly...

why is it so stinking cold all of a sudden?

that's right. under my very nose, fall, and october, has crept into my town. and somehow, i missed it. when was the first day of fall, anyway?

fall is my favorite season. i love the colors of the trees (as fast as they seem to shed around here), wearing long sleeves, the colors and styles of fall fashions, and the smell of fall. it has a smell, you know. like burnt leaves and pumpkin and apples and molasses. it's truly incredible.

so i thought i'd share a few things, for all of you people who love fall as much as i do, i'm currently loving to help usher in the most beautiful season.

like i said earlier, it's cooling off fast here in illinois. it literally jumped from 74 down to 60 in one day. with a wind chill. this is kind of a remarkable change. so when i got my anthro catalogue yesterday and saw the most beautiful pieces of clothing i can't afford on my meager budget set against these beautiful fall backdrops, i went gaga (what is it about expensive clothing that makes it so appealing?). especially for this hat and this scarf (scarfs=love. seriously. i can't buy them fast enough.).

and...since my dad gives me such a hard time for wearing winter wear in the house (it's not my fault my room is the coldest of them all! my bed covers the heating vent!), these little babies from a fabulous etsy shop would do any person especially sensitive to cold. or if you're like me (okay, i'll admit) and just really love to be hot all the time (and wear winter things), buy yourself a pair. seriously. they're merino wool. sigh.

then you can settle down by your window and watch the leaves change color with this beautiful mug from (my favorite!) starbucks, sipping this tea (my new obsession). i mean honestly. it's perfection.

then, when you've gotten down to the bottom of the mug and still feel like you haven't gotten enough fall fix, feast your eyes on the work of this artist. especially this photograph. and this one. oh, and this one. it's so inspiring, i just don't know what to do with myself.

maybe, with the beautiful things mentioned above, missing september won't be all that bad. october could shape out rather beautifully, if you ask me.

{guerilla art. and my town. good combination.}

hmm. seems like i have a little problem with this deadline thing. i think it's because i really don't like to be predictable. so basically, i think i'm going to stop making deadlilnes. i do believe that you are going to have to be surprised.

another plan deviation.

i was going to share a bunch of stuff today about my trip, how i built a bookshelf (shocking, i know. the dent in my wall is screaming at me, but it actually holds books. now if only i could heal the cut on my hand...), how i finally mailed postcards and a package (again, shocking. but i got to use the self mailer with cool buttons at the post office. suddenly, mail is more fun. can i send someone else something? i had to buy extra stamps!! takers?), the september calender i'm working on, and many more exciting things about my unexciting life (such as the hostages from the bank downtown yesterday and the SWAT team...) (which actually happened. look it up on google)...

but.

my mom came home this afternoon from running errands and told me about a public art project downtown. so basically, i had to go. because i love guerilla art so much, it hurts me. and finally, finally, my town was in on the public art campaign. i started dancing.

for all of you who are scratching your head and asking "what the heck is guerilla art?", well, this is something you need, need, to know. this is technically guerilla art, but i see it in a broader sense, more of like art that gets everyone involved, not just the artist. here is where it all began for me. go there. then go here. then, go here, here {some of these are rauncy, i know, but i love the concept!}, here, and here. and here. hopefully i will start similar projects someday. i've been working on my own guerilla art projects on my own.

anyhoo! (funny how i get so sidetracked. wow.) my town!!

this guy that goes to our church is a graphic designer, and all because of a shoelace, he was inspired to do this fantastically cool art project all about his love for the city. you can find out more about it here. while you're there, select the three things that describe you. if for some reason tates ice cream comes up in where you should shop, i'll scoop it for you, since that's where i work (but i had an interview for a new job last week!!! will be discussed later. hopefully.).

but this mural. is. awesome.

he put all of these stickers on a huge mural, and it's pointillism, people! you can peel off all of the stickers that describe you. if you step back, it reads "what is wheaton?" i took off wild, poetic, bald, and vintage. i'm not really bald, but i thought it was funny. they're also cutting out blank spots to do something else wild with it. it's all terribly exciting.

i did not find the unique sticker. i saw it, but i didn't grab it. my sister saw it. she did not grab it. i got home, went to the website, and found out about the prize. needless to say, we were terribly disappointed. some kid has probably grabbed it by now.

sigh.

but still. feast your eyes on these pictures and then i'll tell you why i love my town so much.

11 reasons i love my town: (11 is a well rounded number, no?)

1) it's a college town. it's so fun to have all these kids running around. they hid the bench in our garage once. but that's another story. there was no raid, thankfully.
2) we're in the guiness book of world records. for having the most churches in one square mile. but, still. it's a good thing, people. really. and as a person who attends one of these churches, i can fully attest to it being a good thing.
3) our downtown is cool. kids try to bubble the fountain. and always get caught. it was fun to hang there in middle school. plus also, there are thrift stores. funness.
4) our library ROCKS. it's in the top ten for small town libraries. and it just got renovated. seriously. it rocks. (and i cave, i'm going to work there. starting in october. in the children's floor. eeeeeee!!!!!)
5) six words. lots of bigger and better hunts.
6) it's a small town. you know a lot of people. it's awesome. it's got such a great feel to it.
7) we get four seasons. snow in winter. 100 degree summer days. rain in spring. awesome crispness in fall. it's so fun. except that i don't like snow, so that can be an issue, seeing as though we get A TON of it.
8) two highschools. cross town rivalry. nuff said.
9) we have the most awesome art store downtown. i can't even explain it.


10) we are a 20 minute train ride away from chicago. a 45 minute drive. do you know how good this is for a high school girl? can we say michigan avenue on the count of three? or ice skating with friends in the winter? yeah. it's really, really great.
and finally...
11) exciting stuff happens here. like when bill clinton came to our high school last year. and when the psycho took hostages yesterday. or when we were on oprah. or when football players from the college go to the nfl (which is sort of a big deal here).

or when we get art exhibits. in the middle of town. for the world to participate in.

seriously, people. i live in the best town ever (which not a lot of people can say!). come to wheaton. it's great.

ciao!

{she...is creating, reading, and giving...}

so i've decided i really have to stop telling you when i'm going to post next. because that is really not working out for me. and now i feel all guilty about not updating you on my rather boring little life! :)

i kind of forgot how i had to work like 26 hours between the ice cream shop and babysitting this weekend. basically, this leaves little time for creating, let alone blogging! so while i gave myself a nearly strained wrist after getting it stuck in a tub of ice cream, and a serious migraine after playing barbies for 3 hours straight, i silently hoped that none of you would hate me too much for not posting for a while.

and then on saturday, before i had to go babysit, breaking dawn came out! finished that one in seven hours. but i'm pathetically sad because i don't get any more edward and bella vampire drama! i'm pathetic, i know. but i love reading. and i love those books!

i love reading so much that as i tried to shove my new book purchases onto my bookshelf, the back split open. this is a problem. i have to get a bigger bookshelf. and now my books are on my chair, with about twenty i loaned to friends coming back soon. and a bunch shoved into my closet.

books are dangerous. but really fabulous.

anyhoo...now things have calmed down.

but!

surprisingly, i actually managed to make something on friday between babysitting and working. and...i really really love it! wow. it's a bunch of "she" statements that i either made up or was inspired by, all about me. i didn't mean for it to become really long, but it turned out to be like 20 pages, 40 if you count the backs. so, naturally, i was not about to put a picture of every page on flickr. but they are all on my sis, which you can get to from the link on the left. i took some of my favorites to show you:

i had so much fun making this that i decided that i would host a giveaway. at the end of the post, i'm going to write all of the statements in my book. if you leave a comment with another "she" statement about yourself, or just any comment in general, within the next two or three days (giving myself a window!!) i'll do a random drawing and make the winner her own book. the winner can decide what statements she wants or add any others. i could even leave it blank, if she wanted to write them in.

i'll also be in switzerland from the seventh to the eighteenth of august, so i'll be gathering paper there. i'll use most of it in your book, so you can say you have a bit of europe in your autobiography! ;) you'll just have to wait a teensy bit to get your book in the mail.

so comment! i want to hear you guys talk about yourself, rather than just me rambling on about nothing :)

okay, here are my statements:

she always dwells in possibilites. she is the heroine of her own story. she made her own magic. she's got a little world hidden in her heart and hands. she knew there was never a dull moment. she's at the beginning... she looked to the future with bright eyes. she loved imperfections. she knew she'd do foolish things, but she wanted to do them with enthusiasm. most of the time, she was almost too happy to breathe. she could be a fancy pants, but she knew bad style happens. she had her cake and ate it, too. she spun recklessly and sometimes fell down. she always got back up. sometimes, mindless decisions were hard for her. she wanted to travel the world. she appreciated simple beauty. she often paused her pursuit of happiness to just be happy. life was the best party she's ever been to. oh, can she live! she was guilty of running with scissors. of making mountains out of molehills. of painting with her fingers. of indulging. oh, could she smile! easy things were sometimes her biggest problems.but at least she never gave them up. she loved fashion. often, there was love on her mind. she was a rather silly girl.caffeine saved her as her ideas raced late into the night. she was the queen of her castle. she was sometimes confused. she giggled. oh! she was such a silly, silly girl. she knew life went on. she stared at simple objects, reveling in the possibilities. she stopped to smell the roses. and the daisies. and the lillies. sometimes, she felt like there was a storm in her head. she tried her best to live without being afraid. she was right to dream such dreams. she frolicked, twirled, and dilly-dallied. she tried every closed door, just in case. she made a million wishes and believe they'd all come true. she tried her best to be a real artist. she was tickled pink. a pink ruffle. a pink bow. but never a pink eye {sally jean}. she batted away the clouds. she always had hope. she never stopped believing. she knew the journey was the reward. sometimes, all she wanted was red velvet cake. and the only reason she'd make it would be to lick the spoon. her motto was to say nothing, be silly, act natural. she hoped she wouldn't miss anything. she fancied herself sugar, spice, and mostly nice. she skipped to her lou. sometimes, she was reckless. she really liked her feet, but didn't know why. she had great friends, and when they got together they laughed and laughed. she appreciated the fancy, but adored the fancily simple. she sometimes was an artist behaving badly. she loved art. she loved life. she loved herself. she is me.

so yeah. even if you have no blog, have never commented before, or have never even read this until today...comment! i want to make you something so badly (so i guess this is a rather selfish rak...)!!

ciao!

ps. longest post ever on this blog award! woooot! :)

{lately...}

so, as i promised, here's a post dedicated to what i've been inspired by lately. it's kind of a hodge-podge, so try to stay with me! ;) (i'm sure you'll have no trouble...)

1) the proust questionnaire from jayson home & garden

i love this little guy. okay, so mainly i love the color of the cover, but the idea of journaling by answering questions really appeals to me. i'm working on a mini that will entertain this idea. you'll see that pretty soon.

2) the plastic fantastic collection from studio jspr

okay, no picture for this one, but seriously. check it out. how fabulous are those chairs? and the couch? i mean, look at the colors! if i had more room in my bedroom (and money...) i would so get a white or pink one.

3) this picture by daffie @ flickr

wow. i can't get enough of this. have you noticed how i really like pink? and this camera. swoon.

4) the heidi merrick fall collection

i know this has been a big one going around, but if you haven't seen it already, go look. i love it. it totally speaks for itself.

5) story beads by fieldandsea

okay, seriously. how genius is this? she wrote a story, cut it into lines, and made beads out of it. i just love the idea. i've got to get me some of these.

6) the visual dictionary

this whole idea is fantastic to me. people take pictures of words and send them into this site, which makes a dictionary out of the images. i want to make some moo cards out of these and do a magnetic poetry type thing.

yeah, so that's some of what i've been loving lately. i could go on and on but figured possibly i should stop. i'll do another one of these later.

oh! one more thing! the fantastic fashionistas over at SIS featured two of my minis on the catwalk this week! i'm totally freaking out. i just wanted to thank everyone over there for their fantastic comments and encouragements. you're the best!

till tomorrow, ciao!

{flickr faves}

well, today was sort of a non-productive day. i had to work today (ga!), so that should explain a lot. who ever knew that scooping ice cream could be so tiring? or boring? oh how i wish i worked at the library.

but that is a different story.

i'm absolutely fine with my current state of unproductiveness, since i'm still recovering from my 28-hour travel day on thursday/friday (i think i'll be using this excuse for a while, since it sounds so shocking coming out of a sixteen year old's mouth. isn't it the kind of thing you'd expect a hotsy-totsy guy in a business suit with a blackberry and bluetooth to say? i like to shake things up). i'm totally at peace right now, so that's all good (obviously).

in the creative department, i've started on one of the projects i plotted out on the plane while gaping at a demonic chihuahua (how do you spell that?!), but it's nothing i want to photograph yet. hopefully in the next few days, but i promise nothing. i'm currently living up to the teenage stereotype of getting nothing done (and i kinda like it).

in the meantime, while you await my fantastic creations (typed with sarcastic fingers), i decided i'd share with you some of my favorites on flickr. i absolutely adore flickr. have i mentioned this before? no? well i do. i could spend hours upon hours drinking in all of the photographs i wish i took. maybe someday i could be that good...

these are my current faves, mainly because of the colors:


you can see who took all of them on my flickr. hopefully drinking in all the lovliness will tide you over till i can show you some of my own creations.

until then, ciao!

{goodbye, USA}

no pictures today! hope you can live with all the pain and suffering of a tired girl's ramblings.

so, i leave tomorrow morning (at 3 am) for my big missions trip to costa rica. i was planning on making a cutsy little collage to take a picture of (to say goodbye, and all that, to my nonexistant readers), but i've been packing all day. and i have to go to work soon. it's not going to happen. anyway, after wrestling with suitcases all day long and trying to round all of the neccessities up, i am beat. work is not going to be pretty.

i felt like i should do something for my readers who don't exist, so i decided to post some of my favorite random sites. i take such pleasure from randomness! *insert spontaneous hooray here* hope you enjoy:

1) bembo's zoo: hooray! funny animals made out of letters! clever. clever.
2) sweet gifs: wow. this is totally pointless, but very creative. and colorful. and rather impressive. ooh, i love the guy with the glow in the dark glasses! how many are there, anyway?
3) human clock: bahahahahaha. i just like this utter pointlessness and inspiration. what time is it, anyway?
4) stripe generator: perfect for knitting projects. or just for nothing. but still clever!
5) free rice: great idea. good way to get your vocab up. pile up that rice, will you?
6) internet archive of books: exactly. i love it. this link is to the children's section. somewhere around here you can even see old french fairytales. i love this!!

hopefully that will keep you entertained till i get back.

see you on july 3rd! ciao.

{feeling artsy}

i love summer. finally, time to do things. namely, artsy things. *sigh*. i was super excited this morning when my rss feed demanded that i poke over to the art is found (don't rss feeds seem a bit...forceful, sometimes? with that threatening bold typeface?), one of my favorite scrap prompt blogs. this one is about (my favorites!) magazines and catalogs, which are basically all i use ever. i like finding my paper rather than buying it-much more inspiring (and cost effective, mainly. i don't have a whole lot of money to spend on paper if i want to clothe myself). yeah, so i pretty much freaked out and started coming up with ideas. i immediately got out part of my stash and started ripping.

i also have a lot of inspiration bouncing around in my mind, waiting to actually come out as projects, but i'm starting a few things. one of them is a little atc mini using a perfect-sized business card holder from target (woot woot!). it's about quotes. i worked a little on it yesterday. i'll post the end result up, eventually.

i'm also toying with the idea of starting my quilt again (post on this comes later), but that will have to happen after i get back from costa rica (i leave on sunday. yikes, i am so not ready!). i'll leave you with a picture of the random strawberry patch found growing by our fence. ciao!