11.04.2008

Making History


I hope you all went out and voted today. Because if urban outfitters had this little Icon made for today for nothing then I don't think they'll be too happy!!! <3a

10.30.2008

Hallow's Eve

Well, it's almost halloween in a few hours. I have a Padme costume from 'star wars'. Lets see how I pull this off. I started a new photo project titled a Day In The Life . Where I just take pictures of things that I encounter everyday. My new classes started on Tuesday. Principles of Adverstising and Design 2. I now have one teacher, 4 days out of the week. During this class I learned something that gave me confidence in a weird sort of way. Ray Bradbury, author of 'Farenheit 451' and 'The Martian Chronicles', never learned to drive so he gets around LA on the bus. I still have yet to learn how to drive and I too, take the bus everywhere. Thanks Ray Bradbury for letting me be confident in taking public transportation when half of California spends their time on the 405.
So this is some stationary that I designed. little 3.5x4 notecards. They'll be up for sale in my esty. Speaking of Etsy. The shop is coming together. I know that it sounds redundant but I'm still working on it. The opening date has been pushed back due to time constraints and trying to get everything made. I had an idea of making some bracelets in support of breast cancer awareness and having 25% of the proceeds go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. It sounds like a good idea to me and I think I might do it. Here's some pictures.

10.20.2008

Betcha didn't know

Something that I secretly indulge in every once in awhile is 'the hills'. Oh the drama. Anywho. I was disappointed last wednesday night. Not only did the dodgers lose the pennant but Korto didn't win on Project Runway. I've devoted every wednesday night to PR for the last 3 seasons. Kenley was absolutely annoying and reminded me of Rami last season. One trick pony. Doing the same thing over and over again. But watching Korto's line go down the runway, Everything was on point. I'd Love her to design my (what I dream) my wedding dress even though it's Kenley's style. I definitely thought Korto deserved to win. On to other news. I know i've been saying for awhile now that i'll be opening my etsy shop soon and I promise I will be. I just need to gather some loose ends and take pictures of my merch. It's coming along and I'm so excited for it. I'm also resolving to blog more consistently. It's hard for me to do it but I can assure you that i'll be putting forth more of an effort to blog. I've been having so many ideas running through my head that I need to jot them down and figure out the schematics before I forgt it all.

9.22.2008

Uh Oh!!!

So I did a terribly bad thing on saturday. Art and I and some of his friends went mini golfing. One of his friends brought another friend who happened to piss the crap out of me and it just so happened that they had batting cages at this particular place and just my luck one of the cages was set on free so it was just spewing out balls. With my current obsession with batting cages I hopped right in to get my frustration out. 30 minutes later I finally get out of the cage. When I got home I tried picking myself up from sitting on the floor and my hand just gave way. SPLAT!!! Now my whole forearm is sore and I can barely hold a pen to write with. Oops. Talk about over doing it. Well with a tag from Elsie I leave with this.

7 Very Random Facts About Me

1. For a year I lived without a TV
2. still obsessed with hand embroidery
3. I've learned I enjoy micromanaging
4. I watched 'inside the actors studio' today
5. I haven't had my eyebrows waxed in 3 months
6. I want to play rockband 2
7. i need to finish my last piece that I started


Pictures coming soon.


XO manda

9.19.2008

Recipe for fall

I've been thinking about my ideal day since the new season has started. It didn't take long until i realized what it was.

gloomy day+ hot tea+ pajamas+ fireplace+ movie+ blanket.

it's my dream this season but sadly enough I know that the chances of this are slim to none since we don't have a fireplace in the apartment. Oh but I can wish can't I?

9.11.2008

Remember what you were doing today?

Because I sure do. It was the beginning of my sophomore year in high school. We lived on market Street. I was brushing my teeth when I heard my mom say "Oh My God!" Being the ever curious Leo that I am I ask what and walk into her room. One of the twin towers had smoke and fire coming out of the side and all I remember thinking was "terrorist". A couple minutes later another airplane hits the other building and erupts into a ball of flames. My mom made me go to school that day and all I could think about was what if one hits something in LA or Long Beach. We are one of the biggest ports in the world. Everyone at school was talking about it and all the TV's were on CNN. I don't remember what classes I was taking because nobody was teaching anything. Teachers had looks of disbelief and concern. Our bubble had been broken. We had been attacked on our own soil. You just knew that nothing would be like it was. When I got home I sat in front of the TV for what turned out to be hours holding my dog Nina in my lap. Being bombarded with images of people running from giant clouds of smoke. Seeing the brisges packed with people trying to get off the island. People being comforted by total strangers and posts covered in pictures of people trying to find their loved ones. That city came together as a family.
And honestly I can't look at any footage of that day without crying.

what do you remember?

8.26.2008

Hello*Hello

That target commercial always gets stuck in my head. Well, please excuse the absence of pictures but i'm being lazy. Hey do you want the truth or some excuse. Anywho, for some odd reason i'm feeling very nostalgic about my boyfriend and I. All tonight i've been having memories of him and I from different moments and it's making me feel romantic.

As far as the etsy shop goes, things are getting done slowly but surely. If you weren't sure about the last post I believe the first picture was of a panel that i covered with tissue paper a la elementary school. The second was a necklace that I made and the third was a picture of some bookmarks that I made. Now I have to say that the bookmarks aren't duplicated. They were hand drawn so whatever design appeared is what I drew so... I've also been thinking about adding some prints of photos that I've taken. I'm also working on an art journal kit but i'm having a tough decision on whether I want it to be a fall art journal kit or one based on 'the jungle book'. I'll make the decision in a couple of days and let you know.

So for now, buona notte

XO Manda

8.20.2008

Little Britches

So as of lately i've been wanting to watch 'the jungle book' and since i don't own it it's come down to one of two things. 1.) hope they play it on the disney channel or b.) hope they're still selling it since i know that disney likes to lock up their movies. But i have been reading it online and like most times, the book seems much more interesting than the movie.
So this is a little sneak peek at some of the stuff that i'll be putting in my etsy shop.
im excited for it. The goal is to get it open by october, so hopefully it'll all be together by then. Key word: hopefully.

I also bought some stuff to make block prints. working on that right now so i'll put alittle sneak when i'm done with it. well Hope everyones day is going swell.


XO manda

8.04.2008

We want Manny....






So I went to the dodger game on the 2nd. I know it's only my second game and sorry if this sounds crude to you but to me if robots had boy parts >>>>>that's what they would look like right?


They showed some of the 1981 game against the A's and the "shot heard around the world" they even had the scoreboard the same. So i thought that was cool.
ManRam up at bat . He hits the first homer of the night and the first homer of his career as a dodger. LA finally was able to experience Manny Ramirez in person. You know, you see the homers on the TV and they look pretty damn good, but to see them in person, it's frickin' AMAZING!!!!!!!


We win 4-2 which is pretty good. So far the two games that i've been to, the dodgers have won. Art and I are planning on going to the dodgers-rockies game later on this month. It should be exciting.
I LOVE this bumper sticker. Art and I were at the mall and it just caught my eye. It says, "please don't hit me I'm not 100% sure about my coverage" Genius!!!
Some test bookmarks that i've made with my dinky staedler markers. As I said, 'test bookmarks'.....

7.30.2008

exciting news!!!

so i'm happy to announce that I'm in the process of getting things together to open up my own etsy shop. Right now it looks like it'll include some embroidery patterns as well as embroidered items. Some jewelry. Handmade necklaces and maybe bracelets. Thinking about adding some online classes in there and maybe some of my photo prints as well as artwork. I'm fairly excited about it and I can't wait to get it started. Hopefully when school starts i'll be able to add some screenprints. okay that's it for now. toodles!!!

7.18.2008

TGIF




hoop
Originally uploaded by <3 A
so i know i haven't been on in awhile so update:

my dad went to mexico for the fourth of july and beings that i've really been into hand embroidery I told him to get me some patterns from my grandpa's general store. He got me some but Im'm guessing my grandma took it upon herself to start the pattern off for me. Bless her heart.

I also went to a screenprinting/sign graphics/ embroidery expo downtown yesterday and picked up some nice little things that I could use as props in a photo shoot or as home decor. Like these 8" plastic diamonds. I aldo scored some seashells, a bulldog, a couple of letters to spell out art's name, and an ice cream cone....oh the uses of free stuff.

7.03.2008

Hi-Ho


roots
Originally uploaded by <3 A
so as of late, i've been really into painting. I never did very much of it but i'm learning as i go. Start small on 8x10 and 9x12 little canvases. So one of my schoolmates sent me an email about an artwalk in frogtown and i thought that that would be something exciting to do. All i know right now is that it's August 20th so i better start deciding if i want to do it and get a moe on it.
About the painting. it's on a 9x12 panel and it's done with acrylics. It has a little secret meaning that I hope for art and I and our future together.

So I went to a dodger game last saturday it was my first time. I should have made a little sign or banner or something. Now a little background on me and the dodgers. I never really liked them. I would always talk smack about people who liked them and whatnot but now that i've actually been to a dodger game, i think i'm a convert. The atmosphere is soo friggin' awesome. People yelling and failed attempts to start the wave, which involved me once and my heart started pounding when it came to us. I was so scared but now I enjoy it. The only thing i can say that I DON'T enjoy is the prices and the ridiculous wait time to get out of the parking lot but i think that's everyplace right???
How has your week been going so far?

6.27.2008

Favorites

So lately i've been compiling things that I think are wonderful as of late:

  • working at michaels (minus the bitchy boss)
  • peach mango body spray
  • Saturday night fever (i love the 70s)
  • my fossil messenger bag
  • the new coldplay album
  • finding inspiration
  • the color purple (the color not the movie)
  • forever 21
  • house items from urban outfitters
  • a beautiful mess


And you? what're some of your favorite things at this moment?

the dark knoght


I totally can't wait til this movie comes out. But talking about it on the way to the concert one of art's friends says, "you already know what's gonna happen. The joker dies twice. " It's too soon. I'm still in mourning and refuse to believe that he's dead. But i am getting past that stage and probably into acceptance.

6.24.2008

an introduction


So everytime that I look at this picture it reminds me of how much I love this boy. So this is Art, my boyfriend and we have somewhat of a history. Well, in high school his sister was one of my best friends and we both liked each other but because of our status with each other nobody did anything. We went on to have our respective boyfriends and girlfriends and never thought twice of it. We had a class together for summer school but I didn't realize that he was in it. Well this past February his sister invited me to her birthday party and he was there. We both got drunk and he was sitting in a room by himself so i went to go see what was going on with him when he told me that he liked me. That he's always liked me. All I remember saying to him was "why did it take you so long?" And we've been together ever since. So I've known him since the latter part of 1999. We live together right now and we know that we want to get married. Yet we also know that right now is not the ideal time. That we've both got some things to do but we do plan to be together. And now that we know that I hope things work for the best.
<3 A

6.19.2008

NKOTB???

So as I was flipping through the TV channels to see if anything decent was on at 7 in the morn I came across something that I never would have thought would be resurrected. I know some 80s things are back in like leg warmers, (almost) day-glo clothing and plastic jewelry but, NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK??????? Somebody please tell me what happened? When did they make a new single and for how long has it been playing on VH1? And has it been playing on the radio as well? I don't know. When it comes to mainstream radio music, I have no idea what's playing or who half of these people are now. But apparently there's also a devo 2.0??? People fill me in.

So I went to la plazita olvera today cos i've been going through cabin fever cos i've been in the house for an insane amount of time. So today i took some pictures. So this one is of an old fire box. It has instructions on how to use it. Quite simple actually. But whenever the key was turned it automatically set of a telegraph machine that typed out the location of the box near where the fire was. kinda crazy actually.

6.06.2008

Meet Odie


OATS
Originally uploaded by <3 A
Odie looks so innocent here but in reality...he's a stuffed animal killer. any stuffed animal that we get him, he'll tear apart in 3 days tops. There was an exception though it took him two weeks to tear up a stuffed dog. Odie is actually my boyfriends mom's dog. He's obviously a beagle but we call him a lemon becos his tail curls. he's about 2 or 3 years old but he's still a pup in our eyes. okay goodnight folks.

6.04.2008

Ba-Jabbers


So I find myself watching alot of cartoons lately. Mostly from disney channel and cartoon network. But i found out that disney channel no longer shows 'dave the barbarian'. I LOVED that cartoon so much. I don't know why i'm compelled to watch cartoons again but it feels good. I feel like i'm 7/8 years old again. Today i woke up and started watching the old 'tom & jerry' cartoons. I'm also watching the cartoons that i used to watch when I was younger. 'darkwing duck', 'tales spin', 'chip & dale's rescue rangers'. I didn't even know that they still played them. I'm in heaven.

6.03.2008

'Ello Jonesy!


bowling
Originally uploaded by <3 A
So we've been together for 4 months now. It doesn't seem like it though. It seems shorter than that. ahh yesss......

As for school the semester finished yesterday so i have to wait about a week to see what my grades are. Hopefully they're okay and that I won't have to retake any classes. Mr. Evans wants to get a few of us together during the summer so we can do stuff together like go on tours of other artists studios, go on museum trips and have drawing nights and the like. I'm up for it. I'm anxious to start actually, I need a good challenge and he thinks so as well. He says i'm cut from the cloth except that i'm starting to be a flake so i need to get out of it. . Wen thrifting today but i didn't get anything. I saw stuff that would be good for the apartment but art and I have an agreement to not buy anything for it until we actually get an apartment. Went to Urban Outfitters and saw so much amazing stuff that I think I might just furnish the house with nothing but. We actually got these really cute deer salt and pepper shakers. I'll post pictures as soon as i get them on my flickr. I've been alittle lazy about doing it.

The job hunt went well. I did end up getting a job at michaels and I'm getting so much inspiration from just being there and seeing what other people are buying that it makes me want to try other things. I've been wanting to get back into embroidering. I remember doing it with my grandma when I was younger but i've forgotten how to do it. unfortunately they have like a ga-gillion books on cross stitching and like two on embroidery so i'm trying to find some books on it also the same fabric that my grandma used to use. It was like tea napkins. (at least i think that's what they're called).

I guess for now this is good day. I'm trying to work on a banner for the blog beings that the current one has NO relevence whatsoever to the name. Buon di. <3 A

5.15.2008

Cassette Tape


Cassette Tape
Originally uploaded by <3 A
So about two weeks ago I was listening to one of my teachers talk about what they would go through to get a job done "back in the day" which inspired me to do this series. Appropriately titled. I thought about doing 8-tracks and realized that they're not as distinguishable as a cassette tape. That mixed with the fact that I remember making mixed tapes made me feel more nostalgic for them. So i decided to do a series of them. This is the first one. There are more to come.

As for the job hunting. I think I may have scored a job at Michael's. You know the craft store. So hopefully I'll be able to come up on supplies when I need them and goodies when I want them. I'm praying hard that I get this. I think they wanted to put me in management. I'm fine with that. I've done it before. No biggie.

Was looking through this fabulous girls flickr . I loved the art journals that she makes. Her name is rachel and her stuff is amazing.

5.13.2008

Bill Robles

One of my future teachers is a courtroom illustrator and he subbed for us for the last two weeks for one of our other teachers that had gotten surgery. Well, I know that he had worked on both the Michael Jackson and the Paris Hilton cases. So I go to his website and I find out that he's also worked on cases for Charles Manson, O.J. Simpson, Patricia Hearst, Rodney King, and Robert Blake. Crazy. So knowing that he's worked on all these cases it made me feel alittle intimidated knowing that he would be watching me draw chicken scratch on a sketchbook but he actually gave me a compliment on my drawing, which at first I thought, sucked, but after showing it to another one of my teachers I started to think that it was good.

4.29.2008

Django Reinhardt


Django
Originally uploaded by <3 A
well, we all know i'm a little thrilled by django. He had such an amazing talent and to think that he had to do it relying solely on two fingers and a thumb. If you've never heard of him, I highly suggest checking him out. I know they play some of his stuff in the movie chocolat. So the assignment was to choose from either three categories. Jazz, Salsa danicing, Beijing olympics. Obviously I chose jazz and we had to stylize a picture that we found on the web. I like the way mine came out so much that I really didn't even want to touch it by the time that I was practically finished with it. I didn't want to overdo it so I left it alone. Low and behold a couple people in class told me that they liked it as well and that I did a good job on it. I've been excited over it for the last two days. I love that I'm studying something that lets me create. I thoroughly enjoy going to my classes and can't wait to actually be in a field doing something that I enjoy. It makes me happy!!!!

4.25.2008

pinky swear close-up


pinky swear close-up
Originally uploaded by silje/vanilje
it's amazing how much layering went into her layouts. Incredible. I love this girl. She's so inspiring.