yr granny

my summer, part 1.

2010-10-06T14:26:00.000-05:00

in mid-july, i moved out of my chicago apartment and back to my hometown, Flint for a summer of mischief and adventure. basement shows, abandoned schools, picnics on the beach, cruising with the top down in Nathan's 93/94 Cavalier convertible. lots of boxed wine, slurpees, and general "crazy girl summer" activities. more to come.

(PS: happy to be back!)

camera talk.

2010-06-22T16:16:00.000-05:00

some of my favorite photos as of late.

enjoy! xo M

SMITTEN SMITTEN SMITTEN

2010-06-18T22:46:00.000-05:00

1. bikes, bikes, more bikes! wish i had a pallie to ride with.

(source)

2. road trip daydreams.

(source)

3. this girl's hair. note my newly short bangs, pfff.

(source)

4. i think my obsession with ampersands is understood now that i have one tattooed on me (legit pictures soon!), but this is seriously wonderful.

(source)

5. look at this lil guyyy.

(source)

6. some inspiring sketchbook/art journal pages.

(source)

7. i should make a separate post about music, BUT DRAKE'S ALBUM DROPPED AND IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD IT YOU NEED TO.

8. 180 degrees south. don't ask, just see it!

9. thrifting. lifelong obsession, seriously. and i've been scoring lately, which never happens! for instance, i found my perfect oxfords for like 2 bucks!

10. missed connections, but i'm almost positive that's every girl in the universe. i'd melt if anyone ever wrote one for me!

i don't know if you can read this, but this is my favorite one i ever came across.

sincerely,

your very smitten kitten.

look.

2010-06-17T17:00:00.003-05:00

i made this little book of sketches my first semester of college called "look." it was filled with drawings of faces, sloppy, topped with sloppy watercolors and bound between sheets of brown paper. i was obsessed with the idea of "urban loneliness," that i was constantly surrounded by so many people, yet still felt without. that i passed so many people on the street every day without once looking into anyone's face (people actually AVOID making eye contact most of the time). as you flip through the book, you have to lift sheets of translucent paper to see the details of the sketches. i feel like it pretty adequately describes the haze i felt when i first moved to the city. there are about ten drawings in all, but these are my favorite four. some of them were of people i know (hi nathannnnn), others were drawn from pictures of strangers from the internet. i'd like to start drawing people again, maybe try sketching people in public. i'll get back to you on that.

xo M

for one more song, for one more drive, for one more chance to feel alive.

2010-06-17T00:30:00.000-05:00

some days, i just want to drop everything and go be young with the best people i know. all day long, i dream about road trips around the midwest, bonfires, swimming and fishing and taking too many pictures. doing silly things, too, like skinny dipping or saying FUCK IT and buying a vespa. laying with my head on someone's shoulder, listening to records. shaving half of my hair off, bbqs, getting too drunk. you know, being nineteen. i hate to say that i feel like i'm "missing out," because i'm really proud of what i'm doing here. but jesus, i miss my friends.

these are some photos from my last trip home (including my first time in a bar, time spent sitting on roofs, road tripping home!). the lens on my pentax is messed up, which is a huge bummer & i'm hoping to get it fixed soon BUT IN THE MEANTIME i bought this really great bascially-disposable camera from walgreens with free film for life! so i've been dragging it eeevvverywhere, it's nice to have something so basic (but still film, which i adore!) to keep in my bag for those moments worth remembering.

i miss you, blog world. for the longest time, i felt like i had nothing to share. so i've been working on it, and i have a few good things coming your way, i think.

xo M

smitten with:

2010-04-16T17:43:00.000-05:00

1. this mentality.

2. optimism.

3. these colors together.

4. this tattoo.

5. 90's alternative, but ESPECIALLY third eye blind.

anything in particular you're smitten with lately?

xo M

flint, mich.

2010-04-15T20:00:00.014-05:00

photo diary from my recent trip home, 3/23—3/30.

2010-04-15T10:55:00.002-05:00

a few questions from Rachel at Smile and Wave...

1. When do you feel happiest?
when i'm being productive, petting a dog, bouncing ideas off of others/having a really good conversation, when i'm with my mom, or out walking around taking pictures by myself, when i'm reading a really good book, and when i hear a really good song.

2. How do you take care of yourself?
a big thing i do to keep my sanity is keep a written journal. other than that, i try to be conscious of what i eat. i like riding my bike—otherwise i don't really enjoy exercise. i always give myself goals to work towards, and am constantly making to-do lists to keep up with everything going on in my life. it's good to treat yourself every once in a while, too, just with something simple.

3. Are you internally (by yourself) or externally (by others) motivated?
knowing where i want to go in life, having goals to work towards, that's what motivates me. the constant pursuit of what i want my life to be—of who i want to be—keeps me going.

4. What do you do for fun?
go to coffee shops/craft fairs/bookstores, go thrifting, make things, laugh with friends.

5. What intimidates you?
competition, loneliness, and anything that i've yet to learn how to do.

6. What is something you're proud of?
living in chicago like i've planned since i was 14. the christmas gifts that i made this year. my collection of books.

7. Finish this sentence. I never _____________.
want to stop growing.

8. Favorite vacation spot.
higgins lake and traverse city are both classics in my family, and i enjoy both, but i'd rather travel EVERYWHERE than confine myself to just one spot at this point.

9. Today is a (rate from 1 - 10).
6 so far. i have a horticulture quiz later to stress over, and a lot to do for my drawing class in the morning. i'm feeling very anxious.

10. Finish this sentence. If you knew me really well you'd know _____________.
i'm sazzy as hell, but inside i'm so sincere.

2010-04-14T15:05:00.000-05:00

it sure has been a while, little blog. and i have no excuse! but if i did, it would sound something along the lines of "my-life-is-turned-on-its-head-and-i'm-under-more-stress-than-i-think-i've-ever-been!"...or something. the truth is, i'm newly single for the first time in two and a half years and (as always) completely swamped with school work. i'm doing my best to handle it all, but in the process i lose the motivation to do anything that isn't completely necessary (like writing this blog.)

that said, i've found the best remedy to all of this stress and hurt is productivity. accomplishing even the smallest task that i've set out to do, using my time to its fullest potential—these are the things that take my mind off of everything and make me feel okay again. so here i am, back to blogging regularly (i hope!).

if i had to describe my school experience this semester, i'd say it's been challenging but really rewarding. i'm learning A LOT of new things, exploring the freedom a lot of my classes offer to truly pursue what interested me in that subject to begin with (an example being that i got to write a research paper/critical biography of Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill for my Women in Art, Literature, and Music class. there are some really great Riot Grrrl resources out there, email me if you're interested!). my teachers have been supportive but still critical, which is exactly what i need—don't break me down too much but don't blow bubbles up my butt, either, you know? anyways, as a result, i'm pushing myself to produce work that i'm really proud of, i'm exploring new ideas and mediums and enjoying the process along the way. sometimes i wonder how i'll ever be really happy if i'm not being pushed to learn, which goes to say i'm really grateful to be in school (dorky, i know).

today, i just wanted to share what i've accomplished so far in my Printmaking class. everything is new to me, and i understand my pieces to be rudimentary, but i'm still proud to be making progress. that said, i'm really nervous putting my work out there. constructive criticism is completely welcome, but if anything mean-for-mean's sake is said, it will be deleted.

this was my first print ever! it's a linoleum block print, meaning that the image was carved out of a block of something similar to eraser, then coated with ink and run through a press. the assignment was "text art", which i interpreted quite literally into a prompt. setting goals and having an idea of what i'm doing with my life are two very important things to me, and i was hoping to invite others into my way of thought. feel free to leave a response in the comments, i'd love to know some of your dreams!

for this assignment, we were presented with the idea that "how you draw is what you draw." i took that notion and created a modern frame in an antique context: knitting is something that is still stereotyped as being for grannies (hellllooo, yrgranny!). i tried to subvert this idea with a sassy phrase borrowed from Stitch 'N Bitch. the image was etched into a copper plate, then run through a printing press.

this was my third and final print produced for my midterm. the assignment was "pattern," which i applied pretty loosely to my concept of keys to hearts. i wanted to create something that looked like a catalogue or a collection of keys from any time period next to the signature of the person to whose heart it belongs. as for the medium, this was done with pronto plate lithography, a process in which the image is printed onto a polyester plate that uses the separation of oil and water to determine which parts of the plate accept ink. again, these prints were inked (very laboriously, i might add!) and run through a press.

each of the above prints were produced in editions of ten (meaning that there are ten copies of each print). anyone interested in having a copy of whichever print for yourself, let me know! it'd be really cool to trade, my work for yours...:)

i suppose that's all for now. i'm creepily typing my entire life into a blog post in the school's computer lab, i should probably log off before anyone takes notice.

xoxo Melisa

i'm wide awake, it's morning.

2010-02-21T14:04:00.002-06:00

started the morning off right with a huge mug of tea and a good film (peter and vandy). as of today, i think things are looking up!

what do you do to start your morning off right?

melisa

sketching sketching sketching.

2010-02-20T21:22:00.001-06:00

hi all!

here are some sketchbook pages as of late. nothing impressive, just wanted to put some ideas back out into the world. i miss blogging. weird, but true.

there you are, loves. i'll be back soon with some inspiration posts. i've been researching a lot of really great artists lately that i want to share!

until next time.

xo M

i'd rather dance with you than talk with you.

2010-01-09T11:50:00.000-06:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about why I keep a blog. The original idea was to share my creations and experiences with like-minded people, to become part of the online craft community, to share tips and tricks, to get feedback. But looking at my entries, there's really not much of "me" here. Just what inspires me. I want to change that, I want to become more productive and proactive with my time. I'm tired of wasting my life on the internet when I could be doing something satisfying. I'll be back when I have something worthwhile to share.

xo M

smitten with saturday!

2010-01-02T13:59:00.000-06:00

here are a few things i've been smitten with lately...

1. collections.

i gifted myself a new key collection for christmas! i also plan to collect cameras (five and counting!), cacti (just one currently, named franklin), books, buttons, birdcages, and jars.

2. photos of my hometown, flint, michigan.

by justin clanton.

by jar with most.

by chicagokristi.

3. illustrations by lauren doughty.

4. embroidery embroidery embroidery!

by metro-station.

by what delilah did.

by double-speak.

5. dreaming of summer.

by six lungs and bordons.

6. take me here:

(source)

7. knuckle tats!

(via weheartit)

8. bulldogs. <3

(all via weheartit.)

9. this teepee, holy crap!

by smile and wave.

10. drake. :X hehe.

a comeback!

2010-01-02T12:46:00.000-06:00

goodmorning!

the semester is finally over and i can breathe—and post in my blog again! sadly, i don't have any pictures of the gifts i made for christmas. they were all finished very last minute during my trip to michigan, and (stupidly!) i left my digital camera at home. but what i can share with you is my photo final, and some of the loot i got for christmas. also, i want to sneak in a smitten with post sometime today. it's been far too long...

for those who don't recall, the theme of my photo final was "head, shoulders, knees, and toes." finished, it looks like this:

my artist's statement further explains my motivations for this project:

I don’t want to capture the human figure, nude and ribbed with muscles or sprawled seductively as has been the standard when appreciating the human form. I want to capture what our generation looks like right now: a timeless smile, a trendy coif of hair, that pair of ears that stick out a little too far (like your Dad’s do), the way your jeans fit, your smelly worn in knock-off shoes. How do all of these surface-details come together to create a person’s identity?

In examining these details (an outfit, a face, body language), I am also celebrating their diversity. Photographing a person’s head, shoulders, knees, and toes to be precisely displayed together wouldn’t adequately describe my human experience: I love flaws, I love that we live in a myriad-world of chaos and experience things twofold: on both an individual and global level. We are all unique but we are also all human, and both are traits that should be praised.

I was influenced by exquisite corpses and children’s books with faces divided into thirds, allowing you to flip through for a different set of eyes, a different nose, or a different mouth as you so choose.

one of my goals for 2010 is to get an online portfolio up-and-running, where i plan to post this project along with some of my design work from the past year. any suggestions as to where to do do so? i'm so web-illiterate.

onto my christmas loot:

i feel more spoiled this year than any year, ever. not pictured: a negative scanner, a pink label maker :), a cute little plaque & mix cds, more buttons, socks, and on and on and on.

what was your favorite gift this year? given or recieved.

recieved: my diana! hellooooo!

given: an iphone case i made for little miss jess.

xoxo melisa

an excerpt from my favorite book:

2009-11-16T12:10:00.000-06:00

from extremely loud and incredibly close by jonathan safran foer.

what are some of your favorite books? <3 melisa

do you trust me enough to tell me your dreams?

2009-11-15T14:00:00.000-06:00

i'm starin' at you tryin'a figure how you got in them jeans.

yes, i am singing 50 Cent songs in my head today.

bear with me for a month while i attempt to kick my own butt into gear.

xo melisa

SMITTEN WITH SATURDAY.

2009-11-14T14:09:00.000-06:00

1. noelle peterfi! it's her birfday today. <3

2. pretty movie posters.

(source)

3. organization!

(source)

4. this girl's outfit:

5. this embrodiery:

6. this house!

7. DIY haircuts.

(source)

8. anna karina in une femme est une femme.

9. ryan gosling FOREVER AND ALWAYS, but especially his new music project, dead man's bones!

10. so true...

(source)

have any movies or books or music to recommend?

<3 melisa

camera shy.

2009-11-11T21:37:00.002-06:00

a couple of new prints from my light & shadow assignment. i've been feeling kind of ho-hum about a lot of my photos lately, particularly after being told that the bottom image was "cliche," but i know i'm just being sensitive. i've started shooting for my final (themed "head, shoulders, knees, and toes") but am realizing that unless i want this to be a bryce-expose, i'm going to have to ask a few people if i can take their picture. if you're reading this, willing, and live in the area GET AT ME.

also, i realized i don't post pictures of myself very often so here are a couple taken by the beautiful miss melissa (yes, same name, but spelled differently) the second week of our photo class:

just me being my little introverted (&camera shy) self. enjoy.

sincerely,

the little girl in the big city

smitten with...monday?

2009-11-09T13:14:00.000-06:00

1. away we go.

bryce and i watched this recently and were reminded so much of ourselves. her, the neurotic pessimist and him the easy optimist. it had me LOLing AND crying. such a good film, and what a great cast!

2. horses! i don't know why, but lately i find them to be so ethereal and beautiful...

(source)

3. a pretty pink sewing machine.

(source)

4. this adorable wooden brooch:

5. DOG PORTRAITS. so cute!

6. retro glasses cases!

(source)

7. wedding blogs. not that i'm engaged or have any plans to be in the near future, i just love daydreaming about my wedding day and looking at how each couple makes "the big day" their own.
once wed:

green wedding shoes:

brooklyn bride:

8. this tutorial on how to get a dreamy look in your photos!

9. paris daydreams...

(source)

10. last but definitely not least (first in my book, in fact):

this handsome guy, for all the strings he pulled this week to make my birthday memorable and for being my best friend. <3

sorry again for the late post this week! i hope you enjoyed it regardless.

melisa

19 Things To Do Before I Turn 20

2009-11-08T10:51:00.000-06:00

(source)

i'm so sorry for being MIA this weekend but i turned 19 on friday and my boyfriend surprised me by bringing my mom and gram (+ their men) to town to celebrate with me! we've been busy entertaining in our tiny apartment, eating out, and showing them around.

bryce made me an adorable card and, in a wine-induced coma, told me to "blog about it." heheh, here it is:

also, we got a chance to make some much-needed additions to our kitchen including hanging the lanterns that we bought when we moved and putting up a gorgeous shelf that my mom's boyfriend made for my birthday. our home is finally coming together, though slowly, and we couldn't be happier with it. <3

with the weekend coming to a close, i feel wonderfully spoiled. bryce seen to it that i got most everything on my birthday wishlist including things that i've been lusting after since i was fifteen (polaroid film, anyone?). i have a zillion new books to read, new headphones that make every song sound a thousand times more beautiful, a new coat that makes me feel like the prettiest girl on the block, mini cheese-cakes baked by my mother, qt pajamas from my gram, etc etc etc. i feel so blessed to have the family that i do (bryce included). they make life so much more amazing.

as a last fleeting birthday gesture, i've been working on a list of 19 things to do before i turn 20. anyone who knows me knows of my love for lists (especially lists of goals/to do lists), so when elsie posted this as a journaling prompt for my red velvet craft class, i thought "PERFECT."

19 Things To Do Before I Turn 20:

1. visit a new city. any suggestions?

2. get a more rewarding job.

3. crochet a granny square blanket (this one being my most-favorite source of inspiration).

4. assemble a small, professional portfolio of my work.

5. establish an etsy shop.

6. beautify my blog.

7. get new glasses.

8. redesign my business card and get some printed.

9. send more snail mail. <3

10. knit something from a pattern.

11. sketch more often.

12. utilize my time more efficiently—plan out every day, if necessary.

13. make another small zine.

14. shoot a roll of color film with my pentax k1000.

15. get out more (concerts, plays, gallery openings, etc.)

16. apply for internships at local businesses of interest.

17. be a better designer. (do tutorials, personal projects, read books on design theory and modern design, etc.)

18. attempt to bake something new once a month.

19. continue to transform our apartment into our own personal oasis.

what are some of your goals for the coming year?

melisa

mmm, pumpkin muffins.

2009-11-01T10:51:00.001-06:00

baked last night. <3 welcome to november!
melisa

smiten with saturday...halloween edition!

2009-10-31T17:52:00.001-05:00

happy halloween!

1. masks!

(source)

2. hocus pocus, a classic on halloween.

3. candy, but in particular...

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my favorite!

4. scary stories. remember this book?

5. jack-o-lanterns.

(source)

6. dogs in costume.

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7. pumpkin seeds! here's a simple recipe that i want to try out tonight.

8. this show:

9. gorgeous autumn leaves.

(source)

10. ghosts! but not in real life, ick.

(source)

tonight, bryce and i are baking pumpkin muffins, pumpkin seeds, carving pumpkins, watching scary movies, and making masks. what are your plans?

melisa

a little inspiration . . .

2009-10-30T00:36:00.001-05:00

for your space:

source: we heart it via tumblr

(source)

for your journal:

(source)

for your mind:

"The power of finding beauty in the humblest things makes home happy and life lovely."

Louisa May Alcott

"Eventually I discovered for myself the utterly simple prescription for creativity. Be intensely yourself. Don't try to be outstanding, don't try to be a success, don't try to do pictures for others to look at—just please yourself."

Ralph Steiner

"The true work of improving things is in the little achievements of the day."

Before Sunset

xo melisa

my first-ever sewing project!

2009-10-25T13:43:00.000-05:00

i've been daydreaming about making my own clothes since i can remember and i finally had an opportunity to learn when i started interning at DIY Hards. for my first project, i wanted to do something simple to introduce me to the sewing machine so i chose to alter a plain XL white t-shirt into something i would actually wear. i've been obsessed with peter pan collars so that was the main addition to the shirt, along with fitting it to my size, altering the neckline, & adding black piping along the sleeves and bottom edge. i threw a few buttons on for good measure!

funny side note: i've been joking with sarah about the first time i wear it--that i'm almost sure to stain it beyond repair. well, i wore it out to a nacho party a few nights ago and yes, managed to get a few specks of guacamole down my front. thankfully it doesn't look too serious!

pffff.

melisa

smitten with saturday<3

2009-10-24T17:02:00.000-05:00

1. just about anything that the Avett Brothers touch. i don't know what it is about fall, but i just want to listen to their music nonstop.

2. garlands! i know i'm not alone with this, i've been seeing them ALL over the blog world lately.

(source)

3. love those sequins. i want to do a DIY version on one of my old cardigans.

(source)

4. this pretty embroidered cursive.

5. i ADORE this little teapot necklace.

6. redheads (real or imaginary.)

(source)

7. i'm lusting after this gorgeous coat.

look at the detailing!

8. felt curtains tutorial featured on design sponge! these will be perfect for our living room.

9. this beautiful laser cut image by julene.

10. how perfect is this bike?!

sorry the post was so late today! having to work on saturdays screws me allll up. enjoy!

PS: i'm excited to share with you a few projects that i've finished this past week once i get around to taking some decent pictures. what have you been working on?

melisa

i turn my camera on.

2009-10-22T18:50:00.002-05:00

something to show for my hours upon hours in the darkroom (in order from oldest to newest):

so, i think i've explained that this is my first year doing photography in a darkroom--doing everything by hand. i shoot a roll of film on my old pentax k1000, develop the negatives, and then print the photos onto 8x10 paper. every photo you see here has gone through that process and is a scanned image of my 8x10 print. some photos are by assignment, some were just printed for fun. regardless, here's what i've been up to when i'm not crafting and blogging! this stuff takes forevvverrrr (try 45 minutes to develop a roll of film, and then around 45 minutes to perfect each print!), but is so rewarding when you finish with a print that you like.

all of these photos are available to be viewed larger on my flickr!

who are some photographers whose work you love?

<3melisa

pretty please?

2009-10-19T12:25:00.004-05:00

my nineteenth birthday is already less than three weeks away, which gives me an excuse to post a wish list! :)

"PRETTY PLEASE" birthday wish list:
vintage eyeglasses. i will keep scouring etsy until i work up the courage to purchase a pair. bryce knows of a guy here in the city who can grind out your lenses from his house and rework vintage glasses into something you can wear, so i plan to take full advantage once i make the leap.

handmade nation on DVD! i already own the book & i missed the chicago screening of the movie :(. i'm dying to see it!

an embossing label maker. i'm not sure what brand yet, but this pink one is pretty!

books like you wouldn't belieeeeve!

a cactus. or two, or five.

(source)

polaroid film.

(source)

jars to sort my buttons and craft supplies.

(source)

these wesc green headphones:

those are a few of the things i'm wishing for these days. how about you?

<3melisa

the red balloon.

2009-10-18T11:18:00.007-05:00

in my quest to substitute something inspiring for cheesy TV shows (think 90210, ANTM, etc.) i watched a short film titled The Red Balloon yesterday while i worked on a little bit of homework. my verdict: what a gem!

set in 1950s Paris, The Red Balloon follows the adventures of a little boy and his unlikely companion--a red balloon! the film itself has very little dialogue; it ambles along to a light instrumental score. it's pretty slow-moving, but luckily that gives you time to take in all of the gorgeous imagery. the cinematography is my number one reason for suggesting this film: each scene is breathtaking, dreamy, and definitely inspiring.

while searching for a clip, i found that the entire video is actually hosted online! so here you are, The Red Balloon. enjoy!

<3melisa

SMITTEN WITH SATURDAYYYY.

2009-10-17T13:38:00.001-05:00

hiiiii & happy saturday! i know i've been MIA for a few days here in the blog-world and i apologize--i was doing so well with posting everyday, and then my schoolwork piled up so much that i had to be absent to make a dent in it. regardless, i'm back just in time for smitten with saturday! (which holds especially true for me as today is my first day off in over a month!)

here we go...
1. i love this old, rusty typography! not only that, i've been dying to go thrifting these past few weeks so this sign really hooked me.

(source)

2. traditional-style CRAFTY tattoos, like the ones drawn here:

so pretty!

3. this embroidered owl, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!

4. dreamy old homes. (especially with turrets!)

(source)

5. how cute is this little illustration?

6. gorgeous shades of pink.

(source)

7. i find this painting to be really captivating...

8. striped shirts à la miss Audrey.

(source)

9. fifi lapin's halloween illustrations. i'm the teacup, for sure.

10. sketchbook inspiration:

(source)

whew, hope you enjoyed that! in between assignments (and sometimes instead of assignments!), i've been doing my best to get my craft on. i started my second granny square two nights ago, but got hung up at the color change. also, yesterday, DIY Hards had their second party--this time for Halloween--titled "How to Make a Monster." for our stuffed monster, bryce and i decided to do something collaborative & completely unique, so we each sketched on our own and then sat down to combine our best ideas & make the pattern pieces to cut out our little creation. we didn't get very far--we finished the pattern pieces, chose & cut out all of our fabrics, and spent the last hour or so hand stitching everything together. i CAN'T WAIT to show you our little creation, she's going to be so cute! a little sneak peek:

eep! okay, off to spend the afternoon gorging myself on chocolate from last night's party in my death cab tshirt from 9th grade. have a lovely saturday, all.

<3melisa

FINALLY.

2009-10-13T11:21:00.000-05:00

hello cuties,

i'm thrilled to say that i fiiiinally finished the first project from the RVA autumn class! in case you don't remember, i had decided on "into the wild" as my theme--the album is for my boyfriend, a thoreau-obsessed country wannabe. anyway, here's a photo of the bound mini-album and my pages:

the pages are pretty simple. the first is a place to brainstorm for our future garden. my boyfriend is a culinary freak, so i figured it would excite him to daydream about fresh-from-the-garden produce. the second page is a tribute to flannel<3 and the third is an image of a forest, with the phrase "this could be our view." the fourth and final page is a quote by alice walker that reads "in nature nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways and they're still beautiful." the last page got a little smudged, but overall i'm pleased with how it turned out!

i wish i could say that now i'm off to play catch-up on the other 5245 projects, but i'm so busy with school, work, &my internship that it might be a few weeks before i can get around to finishing another one. regardless, i'll keep you posted.

off to the darkroom to print a few photos! take care lovelies.

melisa

PS: have you seen any good movies lately? often, lately, i catch myself watching crappy TV shows while i work for lack of knowing what to watch...

as i head off to work...

2009-10-12T11:40:00.000-05:00

i'm keeping this in mind.

sometimes it feels impossible to be arsty-fartsy wonky me when i work at a sandwich shop, but i won't let that stop me from getting things accomplished. i can't wait to be making money doing what i love--and i'll keep preparing for that day with what little down-time i'm blessed with.

wishing you all the motivation and confidence in the world,

melisa

whisk me away, i'll be yours for the day.

2009-10-11T11:02:00.003-05:00

this song (clean white love by lisa mitchell) has been on repeat this week. the video is just a collage of pretty pictures that someone put together. enjoy!

also, this looks like the perfect snack right now:

(source)

mmm. what are you snacking on today?

melisa

SMITTEN WITH SATURDAY. <3

2009-10-10T12:15:00.001-05:00

eeep, my favorite day to blog is here!

1. pretty packages.

(source)

2. THIS BAKING OWL by Skunkboy Creatures. seriously, i haven't ben able to get its cuteness out of my head since i found it!

3. lovely fall outfits.

(source)

4. i love this idea!

(source)

5. i wish my coffee looked like this:

(source)

6. "dance anthem of the 80's" by regina.

7. this made me laugh.

(source)

8. a variation on the "keep calm and carry on" print that i've been seeing everywhere.

(source)

9. ampersand.

[&&&&&&&]

(source)

10. this dreamy pumpkin.

(source)

happy saturday all!

xxo melisa

"don't let your sketchbook become precious."

2009-10-09T21:13:00.001-05:00

life has been crazy these past few weeks. my boyfriend has been the perfect little home-maker, cooking us dinner on an impossibly small budget. he's out grocery shopping right now, so i figured i'd take the opportunity to do a quick blog before he comes home and we get back to the second season of sex and the city. ;)

a little over two months ago, i invested in a small black sketchbook for ideas on the go. it's been suggested a thousand times over that keeping a daily sketchbook does wonders for improving creativity and getting artistic juices flowing. personally, i started sketching to help relieve my insecurities about my artwork & get over my need for perfection in my pieces. i sketch nowhere near daily, but it's nice to just doodle on paper sometimes and give life to some ideas. here are a few of my pages:

share some sketchbook inspiration pls!

:) melisa

PS: the title of this entry came from this little smidgeon of an article.

hookin'.

2009-10-08T18:00:00.002-05:00

it's only fitting that yr granny learns how to make a granny square, right?! i thought so too, so i skipped class yesterday morning and spent a few hours making this wonky beauty:

i was a little worried, being a knitter, about the transition to crochet but it went surprisingly smooth. it took me a few tries but then again, everything does. . . :)

i found katja's tutorial really helpful. i bounced back and forth from that to the video suggested by the red velvet girls. if you're considering giving it a try, i say go for it! know that patience is key and don't give up. sometimes it just takes that third or fiftieth pause-rewind-play to get over your hang up.

xo melisa

vintage lady-love.

2009-10-07T08:30:00.005-05:00

a while ago, my gram gave me an old organizer that she was storing in her basement. it was an old brown book-like box with magnetic flaps that overlapped on its front. i figured i would use it for important papers--tax returns, old pay stubs, and the like. at home, i opened it up to inspect it and discovered a huge stack of old black and white photographs belonging to her late husband. i know this is awful, but i didn't have the heart to part with them! i wanted to share a few with you of my favorite subject: vintage ladies!

from what i can gather, they range from the being taken in 1930s through the 1950s/60s. i hope you enjoy them as much as i do!

on another note, i'm really excited to share my own black&white photography with you in the upcoming weeks. yesterday, i spent an hour and a half outside wandering my neighborhood and shooting photos by myself. i stumbled upon a beautiful community garden, explored back alleys, and found my way under the el tracks. it was just cold enough to feel my cheeks flush when i was finished. experiences like that are really therapeutic for me. being outside taking pictures always seems to lift my spirits.

what do you do to clear your head?

melisa

about you.

2009-10-05T13:09:00.004-05:00

a little something to make you smile on a monday morning. (source)

i found this short survey and i thought it would be fun to share a little bit more about myself and find out about all of you!

favourite drink: tea, particularly oolongs or greens. coffee with cream & sugar if i need a little perk.
favourite singer: lately it's been billie holiday, but something like that is always changing.
favourite place to hide: in bed, under thick covers with a good read and a hot drink.
favourite perfume: i haven't found it yet! i like citrusy scents & clean scents.
favourite cake: ice cream cake, my mom's homemade marble cheesecake, and particularly pumpkin pie (though that's not technically cake...).
favourite film: there are so many. amelie, before sunrise & before sunset, lost in translation, garden state, up, paris je t'aime, almost famous, man on wire, breakfast at tiffany's. i could go on...
favourite overused word: whimsy, although i'm not really sure it's overused.
favourite pet name: anything weird or unique that my boy comes up with. butterscotch, cupcake & doll are all cute.
favourite dead popstar: audrey hepburn.
favourite childhood memory: pulling sampson around in a wagon with me, trick o' treating, fishing alone on my neighbor's dock, spending hours laying next to the radio listening to music, galavanting around the neighborhood with the neighbor boys.
favourite food: anything home-cooked by my boyfriend!

fill it out and leave it as a comment or link me to where you've posted it! can't wait to see your answers.

xo mel

life in technicolor.

2009-10-04T11:09:00.000-05:00

color schemes that have caught my attention lately:

(source)

do you have a favorite color? or maybe two colors you love to see together?

melisa

smitten with saturday!

2009-10-03T11:43:00.000-05:00

hiiii! i can't believe it's already been a week since i started "smitten with" saturdays. here are a few new things i'm captivated by this week:

1. pretty shoes!

(source)

(source: unkown! my apologies.)

2. this wonderul embroidery

3. adorable bear coasters!

4. this handspun yarn:

5. the newest issue of BUST magazine. seriously my favorite thus far.

6. adorable prints by theblackapple.

7. love love love new-school cameos!

(source)

8. these photos by elinkan.

9. this album has been on repeat this week:

10. i need to try this recipe! chai tea is perfect in the fall.

what are you daydreaming about this week?

melisa

a shout out from the nerdiest couple you know:

2009-10-02T19:48:00.002-05:00

(we kid, we kid.)

xo melisa

autumn sweaters.

2009-10-01T20:31:00.001-05:00

	Billie Holiday - Autumn in New York

	Found at skreemr.com

welcome to october! fall is really setting in here in the city: jackets&sweaters, scarves, boots--all finally necessary! the leaves are scurrying around in the gutters and there seems to be nothing better than a hot-cuppa-something to relax with. ahhh, i love it!

the downside? teachers are piling up the homework. between that, going to class, keeping a part time job, and helping out at DIY Hards, ya girl has been (and likely will be) a little slow with the updates (and the crafts!). that said, i have a few things that i'll be finishing up within the next week that i'm more than excited to share, so look out for that. :)

speaking of DIY Hards, their grand opening party was a hit! there was sewing and screen printing galore, homemade cakes and vegan cookies, and a warm crowd to boot. the screen that we worked so hard hand-painting the night before was put to good use, and i'm so happy with how it turned out!

you have no idea how grateful i am to be a part of a this burgeoning independent business. i learn so much every single time i go in, and it's so inspiring to see girls not much older than me making a life out of what they love. the store has been getting a lot of publicity lately, including an article in time out chicago. check it out if you have the time!

they're hosting another party on october 16th, this time with a "build your own monster" workshop &halloween theme. i can't wait!

how is fall treating you?

xo melisa

PS: just a little something to make you smile. . . the front doors to all of the apartments in our complex are really thin and last night while i was out getting the mail, i overheard our neighbors singing a duet to "since u been gone" by kelly clarkson. hopefully they don't hear me singing along with with my radio rap tonight, or any other night for that matter. hahah! :X

having a coke with you.

2009-09-27T13:41:00.005-05:00

what a beautiful sunday! here's a quick video for you before i head off to work: frank o'hara reading his poem "having a coke with you."

take care!

melisa

"smitten with" saturday!

2009-09-26T16:03:00.000-05:00

happy saturday everybody! today i'm introducing a new feature to my blog: "smitten with" saturdays. inspired by 10 Things I Love Sunday and other similar posts, i plan to gather a few things i'm smitten with each week to share with you. enjoy!

1. my new button collection.

the past few weeks, i've been scouring ebay for some sort of miracle deal on a large collection of buttons to use for future projects. living in chicago (and not having a car), my access to garage/estate sales is somewhat limited and i had found ebay to be a poor substitute. my family lives in michigan, so i called my mom and told her to be on the lookout, thinking maybe a coworker had some buttons to spare. long story short, she informed my gram who then went out garage sale-ing and haggled down a five pound bag of buttons from 40 dollars to 8! my mom shipped them out right away, and i was thrilled to find the package at our doorstep today. i love my family. :)

2. photographs by Tim Walker.

3. this adorable illustration by gemma correll:

4. everything by Keri Smith! love her.

5. the trailer for New York, I Love You. eeeee, gives me goosebumps!

6. pecan crescents.

(source)

7. vintage cat-eye glasses. my birthday is in just over a month. *fingers crossed*

(source)

8. these prints by Blue Bonbon.

9. greasers (my boyfriend included).

10. this caricature, done for us by the lovely Matthew Reidsman at the Renegade Craft Fair.

What are you lovelies up to this weekend?

Melisa

1.75 YRS.

2009-09-25T13:49:00.000-05:00

today is our 1.75 year anniversary! (this photo was taken at 1.5 years.) we're going out for breakfast and then over to DIY Hards for their grand opening party. see you there?

*located at the corner of Clark and Belmont, above Taboo Tabou.

b&w.

2009-09-24T22:51:00.001-05:00

which do you prefer: color photos or black and white? i love to look at either, but have never had the opportunity to shoot anything but color (digital, at that)--until now. i'm really apprehensive! i so often use color to set the mood of a photograph that i'm unsure of how to go about making black and white pictures.

i've been feeling pretty pathetic in my foundations of photography class, so i'm putting together this quick post to give myself (and everyone else out there) a little b&w inspiration:

(source)

(source: somewhere on ffffound! sorry, i wish i knew otherwise.)

(source: same as above)

(source)

do you have any favorite black and white photos to share?

i hope so!

melisa

where do you create?

2009-09-22T19:28:00.004-05:00

a must in my "dream home" is a gorgeous, organized, inspiring home studio/library. maybe because i live in a studio apartment, but i always find myself daydreaming about a space dedicated solely to making things. i've found a few really charming examples to share:

(source)

i also stumbled upon this Flickr group, Pretty Organized, that allows Flickr users to upload pictures of their tidy craft/office space!

my boyfriend and i are currently in the process of rearranging/organizing our apartment. one of the added perks is that we acquired a desk and can finally incorporate a work-area into our living/bedroom! this is what it looks like now, with much more to be done:

some of my favorite elements so far: the string of lanterns that bryce's father bought for us, the mannequin i found in the alley by our apartment (i want to reupholster him! i'm thinking paisley?), and the old singer sewing machine in the corner that bryce found. we still have yet to find out if it works!

ideally we would have a larger space to work with, and if so, i would love to incorporate lots of shelving/cubbies, a vintage library card catalogue or a flat file, and a girl-mannequin to keep our no-name boy-mannequin company. ooh, and lots of natural light!

what kinds of things would you have in your dream stuido?

can't wait to hear from you,

melisa

PS: i would love to have a higher quality picture of our space. i'll be sure to set up a tripod in the future to share any additions.

looking forward.

2009-09-19T18:08:00.005-05:00

(source)

last summer, fresh out of high school, i moved to chicago from my hometown of flint, michigan to pursue a degree in graphic design. i had given the idea much thought and could vividly see my future career: graphic designer (and eventually art director) of my favorite magazine, Nylon. since then, i've been introduced to so many new things. i learned to knit at a local chapter of stitch 'n bitch last fall, i made my first zine at a workshop hosted by anne elizabeth moore, i started keeping a sketchbook, i dabbled in embroidery and collage and painting, and so on. i got to go to my first real craft fair (and then second, and then third...) and somehow ended up with an amazing internship at DIY Hards, a do-it-yourself sewing and screen printing business. i am reassessing my priorities: what causes do i really believe in? what type of company do i want to work for? what do i love and how can i turn that into my job?

these days, i have this romantic vision of two or three years from now, making a living selling things that i've made. my infatuation with the new wave of crafts is steadily turning into a love-affair. slowly but surely i'm making progress, gaining confidence, and proving my commitment to my fresh outlook on my future. working for a magazine is still a likely possibility, but now i'm more inclined to choose a publication that showcases things i really believe in: handmade not mass-produced, intelligence not vanity, and so on. next year, i would love to be able to say that i've sold something that i developed from nothing (whether that be on consignment at DIY Hards, on Etsy...wherever!). i would love to look back and see that i've developed into a more unique and dedicated artist, and that i've met many such artists in the process. i want an etsy, a future booth at craft fairs, all of it! this is just the beginning.

so what am i working on now? i'm excited to say that i recently signed up for the Red Velvet Art autumn craft class, and am working diligently on the adorable assignments laid out for me. i'll be sure to keep you updated on my progress along the way.

here is what i have so far for the first assignment, an embroidery hoop mini-album!

what about you? what are your dreams and visions for your future? what are you working on?

xoxo. melisa.

superconnected.

2009-09-18T19:00:00.001-05:00

find me here:

http://twitter.com/melisamorgan

http://www.flickr.com/photos/melisamorgan/

2009-09-18T18:27:00.009-05:00

"go be that starving artist you're afraid to be. open up that journal and get poetic finally. volunteer. suck it up and travel. you were not born here to work and pay taxes. you were put here to be part of a vast organism to explore and create. stop putting it off. the world has much more to offer than what's on the fifteen televisions at TGI Friday's. take pictures. scare people. shake up the scene. be the you want to see in the world. you'll thank yourself for it."

Jason Mraz

when i was thirteen, i scurried to write in my xanga about the color of my crush's boxers. i poured myself onto the internet like pancake batter onto a griddle, without any hesitation and without any concern. five years later, i tend to keep my thoughts (boxers or otherwise) to myself. yet here i am, ready again to connect via the world wide web.

about me? eighteen years old. sophomore at columbia college chicago studying graphic design. avid crafter, reader, and tea drinker. homebody. loves: my boyfrand, cupcakes, DIY, riding my bike, writing letters, thrifting, dogs, travel, and txt msgs from mom.

hello, and welcome to my new blog! i'm excited to have a place to share my projects, thoughts, and inspirations (i'll keep most of the personal mush to myself, promise).

let's get to know each other! do you have any favorite quotes? above is one of mine (though i have many!).

xoxo. melisa.