uh huh.

i believe it ;)

http://tatielle.tumblr.com/post/407590470/cupcake-cures-depression-via-prettycalm

open road.

I am currently sitting in the Maddox's beach house..

Davis Ann and I left yesterday after her class and drove the 5 and a half hours to Santa Rosa Beach, FL.

I have only had good times when I come here.

Its been so nice.

Just the 2 of us. (for 2 years it was the 2 of us 24/7 but that hasnt been the case for the last 2. Its great to have the much needed alone hangout roommie time)

Just the beach.

Homework and sleep.

I have felt for a while that i needed to just get in the car and drive.

Its been a while since i have driven anywhere far. I needed the car ride more that the weekend i think. After traveling so much i got kinda burnt out from it. The adventuresome side of me died out a little. After a long break though, i have had withdraws from the lack of it in my life. I needed a break but am ready again.

Next trip.. Fayetteville Arkansas for spring break. An 8 hour trip that i have a love hate relationship with..

anyways..

Davis Ann and I made a list today in the car..

"Tips to a Fun & Cheap Weekend" (ha)

1. make sure your brother meets a girl freshman year that will have a beach house and a sister that you can be friends with in the future

2. become roommates and best friends with that girl

3. go to that beach house whenever you can

4. make sure it will be for free...

5. make sure the place is owned by parents who come often and already have the pantry stocked.

6. do not go to the outlet mall unless you want to leave with 5 things

7. eat simple. (zateran's always helps us since its like 1.67 for a box of jambalaya or gumbo)

8. watch movies you already have.

9. relax.

10. take baths when you get bored.

11. take advantage of the view.

12. make sure good, happy, and relaxing music is playing in the background.

(this list is of course un-realistic considering its not too often that you have a roommate who's parents build real-estate on private beaches but hey im sure a few things on our list can be helpful)

bunniessss

http://www.poppytalkhandmade.com/gallery90

:) cute little ring.

confession.

Sara and I have been watching the Anne of Green Gables series. I watched it when i was little every-time i went to my grandmothers house in Decatur (if i was not watching Mary Kate and Ashley.)

Watching it the past few days has made me realized how funny it actually is. I am a little embarrassed i wanted to be Anne when i was a little girl.

I went to Prince Edward Island, Canada my senior year (the place the story takes place) and was disappointed to take a tour of her "birth place" and find out she was never real. Ha.

Anyways, i've loved watching it the past few days.

inspire.

I found these today when i was looking for inspiration. Im supposed to be designing 2 posters on a topic that i do not like and have had a horrible time being motivated. Things like this i guess are what make graphic design so fun.

Matthew would appreciate these!

Found them here: http://www.expocooperative.com/

sunday.

Though my hands shake

i remain unshaken

cause the part thats grounded

is also taken

and thats the way that it should be

{BR}

sibs.

My family is coming into town today to go to lunch with me :) (well they are headed to Mississippi to visit Daniel but are stopping through) Its been since Christmas that we were all together.

Happy Day!

california dreaming.

With the warm weather slowly creeping in and out ive found myself craving to be on the beach more than ever. If I could pick a place, id be in Santa Barbara, CA, the place Matthew & I went on a day date for our 1 year. Its oh so beautiful. Mountains, cliffs, beaches, & a little upscale hippie life. Sigh. Im dreaming.

The oceans getting warmer

And California's on her mind

-augustana

etsy love.

Check out these beautiful cake and cupcake trays.

LOVE.

Im totally buying one someday.

I found them on Etsy with Whitney Smith Pottery.

She has such beautiful work!

Tattoo.

Heres the deal. For a while i have been debating whether or not to get a tattoo. Many of my friends i know have strong opinions about this topic and i know all the reasons of why not to get one but i kinda really want one. Nothing crazy or extreme. I saw this calligraphy tattoo on a blog one day and decided i LOVE the font. The other picture is of my friend Meghan Hill and her husband David. They both got the same thing tattooed before they even met and fell in love. Sweet huh? i love the place she has it. Its not noticeable, its elegant, and i think its perfect. So we will see.. not like im going to get it tomorrow or anything but maybe one day i will be daring enough..

Oh. P.s. The picture was taken by two of my favorites, the wonderful

Emma and Wesley with wephotographie! (thats them in the Polaroid!)

happy wednesday

PRINTS! Im thinking about purchasing either a screen printing kit or a Block printing Kit (in a previous blog i posted a bike print which was done using the block method) How fun would it be to be able to Screen Print things!

Hmm. Urban Outfitters sells kits but you know i'm sure i could find one cheaper...

Thats no question...

The picture on the Left i did last semester in Printmaking. Its an Intaglio Print meaning it was made using a zinc plate & acid washes to etch away the picture. Kinda complicated to explain but a really cool process!

As a Side Note:

I found Jillian Edwards yesterday when i was buying the Ben Rector Album. I have only downloaded 4 of her songs but LOVE them! she is a doll and the second i heard her songs i just smiled. I attached the link to her MySpace and recommend listening to "Song Bird" & "July and June". So. perfect!

Lee Miller and Vogue.

This is a portrait of Lee Miller a famous photographer in the 1940's. We studied modern photography today in art history and she was the most inspirational to me. Lee Miller was originally a model herself and worked for Vogue. She herself became a surrealist photographer as well as a documentary photographer for Vogue. She took fashion photos in New York and Europe as well as photographed scenes from WW2. She was the first to capture the devastation in Germany and sent it to be published in Vogue. Of all magazines Vogue!? In the 1930' and

1940's everyday life photographs were at the top of the list. Artists used this topic for many reasons. Her reason was to be real and to show what the Americans could not see. After having loved vogue for a very long time, i found it so interesting that such a magazine would show such pictures. I guess the times have changed as they say and although our world is still falling apart the beautiful and the ugly of the everyday are not shown in such "glam" magazines. I know this is not what the magazine is for but still something to think about.

This would be Picasso, a friend of hers :)

Ben Rector.

Ben Rector is a friend of Matthew's (aka boyfriend) from the University of Arkansas. He recently (well today) released his debut album "Into The Morning". Here is a video of one of my favorite songs so far. He is so talented, his music is filled with sweetness, love, and beats that make you want to dance. You can feel and hear his love for Jesus. I hope you all enjoy it as much as i do. Everyone should go buy the album! Now!

Side note for the day: Matthew and I have been dating 1 year and 8 months.. a record for both of us in our dating lives ;) tehe.

cupcake.

HAPPY MONDAY EVERYONE!

[I totally forgot about this image when writing (or rather typing) my valentines day post! Here is one of the treats Matthew gave me! He knows me well.]

valentine.

It was another short weekend but an amazing one non the less. Matthew came down on thursday night to be my valentine, we cooked dinner on saturday night (or matt cooked), and just hung around my house to try and make our long distance relationship feel "normal" for 2 days. Im so thankful to have such a sweet Valentine that drives 9 house to spend a weekend with me. Here are a few pictures from the weekend. Enjoi!

Pop.

HAPPY VALENTINES WEEKEND!

We are studying american Pop art in the 1950's in Modern art history and so far Andy Warhol is one of the only artists with crazy ideas that i appreciate (my opinion about that class and modern art theory could be an entire blog entry.. and i shouldn't get started on it) Anyways. Here is just a favorite of mine that he did. For some reason it kinda fits valentines day??? maybe its just the flowers and the pretty colors. Who knows.

As a side note: my mom is the sweetest lady. She sent me this dress from Urban Outfitters along with a few other things in the mail for Valentines Day. I've been getting a ton of mail these days.. I feel so undeserving but really special that i have.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! This is my first valentines with a REAL valentine date. I've always liked the holiday date or no date so i am totally embracing every second of it :)

homemaker.

So one of the only things i asked for for Christmas this year was a sewing Machine. The desire came out of a need to doing something new, to have a new hobby, and to be skilled in an area that is very useful. I not only got 1 sewing machine but 2! Matthew knows my love for antiques and he himself appreciates them. He got me this awesome Singer Sewing Machine that has an awesome wooden case with a key to unlock it. Yes it does still work and i have used it a few times. My mom got me a newer one that i use more frequently. So far i have made a few random pillows and am now working on a cool apron. Hopefully one day i will be maki

ng original and beautiful things. I am hopefully going to start making a quilt soon that will be a long term project. Just call me suzy homemaker. These days it seems like all i buy & the only gifts i receive have something to do with a house wife (by saying this i am not suggesting annnything, just to throw that out there, oh man).

The second picture is that of my awesome iron ons that Sara (my other roommate) gave me. They were created by a a pair of artists who are husband and wife! Cute huh? Jess & i have used them already once and I'm excited to get to add them to my creations in the future. To see more of the Sukie products click here!

Oh p.s the fun thing about the Sukie Iron On's is that J used to call me Sukie and Sara didn't even know it. Perfect.

Fact for the Day: Matthew is on his way to be my Valentine for the weekend. Hooray for that!

Song for the Day: Dandelion by the Damnwells.

art of friendship.

So Davis Ann and I have a weekly workout schedule together and go every Tuesday and Thursday to the Rec center. On this particular Tuesday it was freezing, i was tired. and did not really want to go. Of course Davis Ann being the determined most disciplined person i know gets me to go like usual. We work out and actually have a good time. So we leave and get in the car. Little did i know that when i parked my car had gone slightly over the curb (unknown to me bc i didn't feel or hear it when i parked) so i begin to back up and hear an enormous screech.. and im like "oh i must have gone over the curb, no big deal" so i keep backing up with the sound getting worse and worse.. Davis Ann once again being the better of us, gets concerned and gets out to see that my bumper has indeed been taken off the front of my car by the curb. The look on her face was priceless. Being in the good mood i am (luckily) get out and start laughing at the fact that i could have jacked up my car pretty bad. She decides to try and fix it and kinda places it back where it should go as i pull back up to the curb. The grills that are kinda on the lower half of my car came out and are currently in my car. Afraid to drive off i call my boyfriend mechanic (who i think knows everything about cars just because he was in shop in high school) I tried to tell him what happened and to get advice but am laughing so hard that i cry. I laugh because this is something that WOULD happen to me. We end up being ok and driving home grill less and with my poor bumper a little bit removed but i think all is going to be fine. Matthew will be here tomorrow and can hopefully fix the rest of my mistake. Well.. it wasn't really a mistake.. just an accident ;)

I tell this story because these types of things happen frequently to me.. Thankfully it has been built in me to laugh at all problematic/ troublesome circumstances. I laugh at the wrong times and of course cry when i shouldn't.

The whole time this was happening i was wondering where Jessica was. In high school we did some pretty careless things. We ALWAYS got lost in HORRIBLE parts of towns (that topic could be a whole blog entry in itself), have run out of gas on the interstate, and driven miles and miles away from where we are with no practicality in mind. This characteristic we have has gotten on a ton of peoples nerves i do recall. And im sure, has stressed many out with our reckless abandonment desire to be adventurous, careless, and un concerned with the dangers that could come. Although these things do happen to us often we seem to always laugh it off even if it brings us to tears first. Im not sure whats wrong with me? why i always have these moments.. I hope in the future that as i get older i will become more less careless but still able to laugh things off so easily like i do now. It makes life not so stressful.

Jess and i are going to write a book one day. I know we have enough stories about our (what we think, although people say no one is as interesting as unique as they'd hope) interesting life to fill one up. Then again we have big plans with little resources and commitment ;) haha we may not have everything together but we have mastered the art of friendship, we always have fun together, can go weeks without talking and one day call the other one crying because we know the other is the only one who would understand. I can thankfully say she will be my best friend always.

Side note for the day:

Look at this awesome necklace i got over New Years in Nashville. I found the charm in a little old record store downtown. I saw them on a cardboard display panel from the 70's and knew i had to buy the 2 dollar charm. Lucky find in my opinion.

(oh p.s. it looks huge in the picture but its tiny! if that matters for for anything)

Art.

So here is the thing. I am a self taught artist (meaning i never took classes apart from 7th grade and in high school which does not count as being taught anything) I enjoy painting but do run into the problem of feeling like i have no idea what the heck i am doing. I guess that is where many famous artists started out though right? They didn't know what they were doing but learned from simply studying others work. I posted a few pieces that I did a few years ago. I have not painted much since but will post a few news ones i'm working on soon. By being an art major, i have gotten the chance to work with different mediums i otherwise would have not gotten the chance to work with. Last semester i took a print making class which opened my eyes to a new way of doing things. It reminded me that there are other things to do besides paint and that there are so many things i can do with my love for creating. I could work in a print shop doing handmade invitations, work with book artists, and even work at a place like Hatch Show Print in Nashville. Oh the beauty of it all.

This next picture is a screen shot of a few things i'm working on in my Graphic Design Class. Last semester i realized there was so much more i could do with art and after being in my first upper level graphic design class this semester i've understood that even more. Im not going to lie. Working on the computer does not come easy for me, i'm not the best at teaching myself how to do things but am slowly learning and appreciating it. A few months ago i posted a blog about packaging design (the web site will give you an idea of what i mean when i say packaging design). It is somehting that has always facinated me. I am deffinently a sucker for anything with a beautiful lable. I always found myself wondering who it is that designs the things that make us buy stuff. I have a long way to go but i am loving getting to make advertisements and logos which were the reason i wanted to be a designer in the first place.

As a side note here is a picture of my pre valentines surprise. Matthew has sent me a letter everyday in the mail since February 1st. He purchased an old type writer and typed each one! Pretty thoughtful and sweet huh? i thought so.. He will be here in a few short days and with that my letters with stop. I say that as a good thing ;) I have a great Valentine.

February is for lovers?

So i am in love with the photo collages that 100 layer cake does (it is an amazing wedding blog that i follow.) This one on particular had my attention.

February is always filled with the theme of love. With all the pinks and reds and little hearts everywhere. Of course it is because of Valentines day but other than that why is the whole month filled with "love"? This of course has gotten me to think about love, what it is, and why we are so desperate for it. I am not going to try and answer that question in this entry. I am not going to write down a profound answer that is so thought provoking that i have a million replies. But i will say there already is an answer.. love is what makes us go crazy but it is indeed the one thing that holds all things together. Of course the reason is that God is love. He is the ultimate lover jealous for His bride. He is ultimately the perfect lover who satisfies the desperate need for love in the human heart. John 15:13 says "no greater love has no one, that he that lays his life down for his friends." That is what God did. Jesus died for us, and there is no greater love than that. My friend Emily wrote a song that says "how right they are to adore you, we rejoice, we delight in you." He is to be adored above all else. So many days i waste my time and do not give my first love the adoration He deserves. So in the month of February remember that.. with all the romance, the flowers, the hearts, and the love letters.. Remember the Lover of the world. How to love is found in Him..

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.

1 corinthians 13:4-8