Online Classroom Rant-Sesh

I've mentioned that I'm working towards my Bachelor's in Graphic Design with the Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division (AIPOD), and that takes up a major part of my time between Julian's bedtime and my bedtime. I spend a huge amount of time working on assignments and commenting on discussion posts- even while I'm at work (sshhh...). I don't think conventional schooling is not for me for lots of reasons, but online school definitely gives me a run for my money. I would give anything to be able to sit in a room with other students, raise my hand to answer a question, participate in a live, meaningful discussion and leave feeling like I'm a tiny bit smarter than when I came. It's frustrating to keep up on deadlines, especially when they fall on a Friday and Monday for assignments and Sunday and Wednesday for commenting on my peers' work.

I wish I could say "end rant" and say that I'm grateful that our technological advancements allow me to even be able to call a web address my classroom. BUT there's more.

My problem with those deadlines and the shortness of my classes is this: how do they expect me to produce quality, portfolio-ready pieces of art when I have about 3 days in between assignments? And another life before and after "school"! To anyone seeking a review of AIPOD, my official opinion is that it's great if you already know how to do a lot of the things you're seeking your degree in, and you have the ability to teach yourself what you need to know. It's not for you if you need more guidance and serious honing of your skills. I consider myself to be a somewhat skilled designer for being a beginner, and the work that other students are producing often make me wonder if someone is playing a joke on me.

Ok, that was mean.

Now I sound like this egotistical bitch that thinks she's some artist sent from God to reform all the untalented artists. No. But I do wish a "professor" would be a little stricter with their criticism and say something other than "you're going in the right direction, but...".

I wish there were good art schools for me to go to in my area, and that I actually had the time/ability to go to a tangible school with real, serious people. I just wonder how much value my hard work will pay off once I have my degree from AIPOD and am trying to get my first job as a designer.

So, what started out as a post titled "Lately" and was going to be a little update on some things and some vague feelings about some things in my life just turned into a rant about school. I'll probably do that post later today.

At least I have some pictures of what I'm working on right now in my Typography class! I can't wait until the class is over and I can tweak the piece to be something worthwhile for my portfolio. I'm hating all of the restrictions and rigidness of these assignments. I just want to create beautiful things that reflect my style and the direction of my work!

Currently // 01

The idea for this entry comes from Danielle over at Sometimes Sweet, a blog that I discovered this past week that I love! My favorite part about finding a new blog is browsing through their content and “catching up” on their life. I have so many favorite blogs now that it’s hard to get everyone straight, but there’s usually a characteristic or two that I remember about each one, whether I remember the blogger’s name or not!
So, these are a few things that I’m currently doing!



Watching: New Girl, and I am obsessed. I finished all of the episodes on Netflix so now I’m going to see where else I can get episodes from. Maybe Family Video? It’s one of those shows that I could sit and watch 10 episodes of in a row and not even be sick of. Jess is one of those people that makes you want to be more like her.

Eating: Dom and I went to Moes for lunch today! It’s my favorite place and the burritos are $5.55 on Mondays and his mom took Julian this afternoon, so it was just us- it doesn’t get much better than that!

Excited about: A few things. One, I’m about to go pick up some super cute invitations that I did over the weekend for a coworker’s grandson’s birthday party. Little Gregory is turning 2 in October and his mom is planning a birthday party at a local pumpkin patch, so I made them pumpkin themed! I’ll probably post pictures on Instagram as soon as I get them, and may be adding them to my Etsy shop! I’m also excited about my weekend plans with my best friend Morgan. She recently transferred to the University of Buffalo and it’s their homecoming football game on Saturday, so I’m making the 2(ish) hour drive to Buffalo Saturday morning to spend about a day with her! I’m excited to be living the college life for 24 hours!

Wanting: An apartment we looked at (by we I mean my sister and I) last Wednesday. It’s so perfect for Dom, Julian and I! We still haven’t heard back from the guy that’s renting it out, so I’m nervous that he found someone and just isn’t going to call everyone who didn’t get it. He sounded like there were lots of interested people, which I can believe because its absolutely gorgeous. It’s ok if we don’t get it, though. We should probably save more before we start actually looking anyways.

Looking forward to: Fall and cooler weather. We had a taste of it last week and this weekend, and I’m so excited for pants and at least 3-quarter length sleeves, flats, and cute hoodies for Julian. We’re supposed to hit 90 in the next few days and I’m honestly praying that it’s the end of this “can’t-make-up-my-mind” summer we’re having in terms of weather. And I’m sick of Dom thinking we still need to run the air conditioner in our room at night. I’ll admit, I like to sleep… uh… au natural… at night occasionally, but that can’t work if its freezing in there!

Loving: The age that my Juli is at. He’s “saying” so many new things, walking all over, making new discoveries and learning new things every day. He’s so sweet and silly, and he always brightens my day! I thought I loved the 10 month age, when he was starting to get some personality, but I really love this age! It’s bittersweet because every time he does something new it reminds me that he’s getting closer to not being a baby anymore and becoming a toddler right before my eyes.

Thinking about: The brand new sewing machine that hasn’t been touched since my grandma bought it for me about a month ago! I’m itching to try it but haven’t had the time to sit down and start a project. I have too many things vying for my attention right now! So far my want for slimming down my hobbies isn’t working, and I still have lots of things on my plate. I’d love to create some more block printing tutorials and get some real hand made projects done, but that’s just not in the cards I guess. Once the boy goes to sleep the only things I feel like doing are sitting on the couch, munching on some puffcorn, and maybeee banging out some homework.

Those are just some of the things that are swirling inside of my head right now, but I encourage you to think of the things that are currently thinking about. I love this exercise because it makes you take a second to really be conscious about what’s going on in your life!

My Fall Wishlist!

Well, there’s no denying it- fall is just around the corner! Can you believe September is less than a week away? All of my friends went back to school in the past few weeks, and high schoolers start school next week. Even though I don’t “go” to school (I’m enrolled in courses through the Art Institute of Pittsburgh), when school rolls around it just feels like fall to me. And I honestly couldn’t be happier! This summer wasn’t much fun. Between the crappy Upstate New York weather, the stress of planning Julian’s first birthday party, and my grandfather passing away on the Fourth of July, I didn’t get to do anything that I really wanted to do. Money was too tight to take even a day trip, so the only water-park experience we had was on Juli’s birthday when we went to the Seneca Lake Park for their awesome Splash Grounds.

I recently bagged up 75% of my fall/winter clothes and donated them because they’re just sooo old. Most of it was stuff I’ve had for years. Things just naturally start smelling a little funky after a few years. Besides, I’m so bored with my “style”, or lack thereof, and I need something a little more grown up, polished, and pretty. There are a few items I’m really dying to buy like a great pair of riding boots, some funky leopard print flats, a comfy pair of tailored black pants for work, a super cozy cardigan for both work and weekends, and lots of stylish accessories. (Do I see some DIY projects in my future?)

I put together a moodboard of sorts to capture the things I’m looking for this fall. I’m hoping to visit my best friend Morgan in a few weeks at the University at Buffalo and buy some of these things at the Galleria Mall.



Navy Blue Chunky Cowl. Leopard Print Flats. Black Leather Riding Boots. DIY Gold Tube Bead Bracelets. Skinny Black Ankle Pants. Drape Front Cardigan.

They’re all classic items that could be worn dozens of ways, so splurging on one or two of them wouldn’t feel too bad. (Hopefully Morgan can get that through to me.) I’d love to find cheaper versions of the boots and the sweater, though so I’ll be keeping my eye out for similar things!

I’m also really excited to start buying fall clothes for Julian. I went to our Outlet mall a few weekends ago and picked up a lot of cute basics and play clothes for him with his birthday money, but I’m still looking for good deals on sweaters, jeans, and a fall jacket or vest. I popped over to Gap’s website to find that they’re having a Labor Day sale, and now I might just be adding some things to my cart because I can’t live without them.



Quilted Puffer Vest. V-Neck Elbow Patch Sweater. High Top Sneakers. Hiker High Top Sneakers. Dark Wash Loose Fit Jeans. Contrast Striped Beanie. V-Neck Cardigan. Long Sleeve V-Neck Tee. Pullover Sweatshirt.

I’m dying to buy the puffer vest- it’s on sale and I have $10 off and Julian has a gift card. I might have to take a trip to Destiny USA to see how much I really like it. It would be such a steal!! I’m loving the high top shoes, and we’re definitely in the market for shoes now that Julian is walking everywhere. The only issue is the width of the shoe- Julian has fat feet so we have to be careful with shoes! I can’t wait to start buying jeans and sweaters for him, because last winter he was so chubby that he was confined to sweatpants and knit shirts. We’re still going to have to get him the loosest pairs of jeans possible because he has the biggest thunder thighs I’ve ever seen on a 1 year old.

What’s on your fall shopping list? Are you due for a major wardrobe upgrade? If not, you can donate to my fund! More clothes for me!!

Ok, just kidding!

Favorite Fonts!

I'm always on the lookout for new fonts, and I started a Pinboard for all of the great fonts that I see from other bloggers and Pinners. That way, when I'm working on a project, I can go to my board and scroll through font snob heaven the fonts I've pinned, click through, and download! It's so much easier to download a few fonts as you need them than to have a lot that are pretty but that you might now ever use.

Once I download a font, I open up a Word document that I have saved to my computer and type the font name so that I know which ones I have already and what they look like. It's such an easy reference tool that I find myself looking at every time I open Illustrator.

So, because there are so many fonts that I admire, I thought maybe I could share some of them with you! These are some of the ones I use on a regular basis- some are fancy, some are simple, but all of them are fun and gorgeous! They're all great to have in your designer pocket.

English Essay.Odalisque.Lobster.Alexandria.Dawning of a new day.Ecuyer DAX.Riesling.Quicksand.

I just began a Typography class through my online school, and I'm loving it just as much as I thought I would. I've been sort of re-learning the things my high school graphic design teacher touched on, and I'm super psyched for our project! I can't wait to share the end result- I hope it goes the way I'm seeing it in my head. A piece I did as a final project for my most recently completed class didn't turn out the way I expected it to, and I worked really hard on it, so that was sort of disappointing. 

Have you ever experienced this? Have you started out on a project thinking/picturing it to be one way and then it didn't end up that way? There's no worse feeling than not being able to accomplish something, even though you put forth your greatest effort to do so.

I'm curious to know what your favorite fonts are! Are there any of my favorites that are yours, too?

Free Gatsby Soiree Printable!

Good morning! I spent some time last night fiddling around on the computer and pinning some new inspiration for new projects, and I came across a recent pin from Oh Happy Day's printable cocktail party invitations. Everyone loves a free printable! So, I made this Great Gatsby themed birthday soiree printable for you to use to invite to your next party! You could base the whole party on this art-deco theme, and even have your guests come in their most dapper dressings!

Simply print the invitations, fill in the information and give them out to your guests- they should fit in an envelope for 4x6 invitations, which can be found at your local craft store, or even Staples.

Materials:
White, cardstock paper (8 1/2x11)
This downloaded PDF file (A new page will open- click the "Download" button in the upper right hand corner- I promise it's safe!)

Steps:

1. Download the file.
2. Open it up on your computer.
3. Print it out on the cardstock paper.
4. Cut the invitations out.
5. Fill in the party information.
6. Send them out.
7. Host a fabulous party!

It's so easy! You could throw something together in no time with these printables, and they're perfect for a small get-together. if you wanted to make the invitations a little glitzier, you could easily add some glitter glue and trace along a few of the gold scallops to make them really pop.

Mediocrity: Can I Beat It?

 

 

I spent this beautiful, beautiful day at a private lodge in the middle of nowhere, at a place called Frozen Ocean, with the greatest coworkers ever! I drank too many mixtures of Coconut Parrot Bay and Coke, and ate too many snacks. I didn’t dance or laugh enough, though. The picture above really has nothing to do with this post other than it being the view off the back porch of the cabin we were at. Gorgeous!!

I’ll warn you: this post is the product of a few drinks that are wearing off, a tired body, a tired mind, and a tired heart. I’m feeling a little sad and a little bad for myself tonight. I think we all have this feeling, but it’s been coming too often lately for me, and I’m trying to have little victories within myself and take steps towards figuring this problem out, and I’ve just thought of another things causing it.

I love being able to add things to my “have done” list. I love having things to brag about and show off to people, as if they make me a more interesting person because of them or something. Lately I feel like I have so many ideas for projects, crafts, hobbies, skills I can learn-- and that’s besides the things I “have” to do like school, houskeeping, cooking, laundry, working… obligations. Because I put so much on my plate, I don’t have time to dedicate to every individual thing as much as I’d like. This leads to my version of mediocrity. I’m a beginner blogger with pretty much no readership. I like to think I have the ability to be a good blogger, but right now I’m mediocre. Same thing with my Etsy shop. I’m also a good art student, but I get tired of trying so hard when the students around me aren’t inspiring or talented, so it makes me slack. I’m a good friend, but I could be better if I wasn’t in such a rut. I’m a good employee but my mind is constantly split between the clouds and home. I keep getting moved up by chance at my work- is that all I am?

No, I don’t have to be mediocre.

I’m proposing a time out for something in my life- but what?! The things I have in my life right now are there because I like them, so how do I possibly cut something out. I’ll miss it too much! And the things I have to do just won’t get done and then we’ll be hungry/be stinky/be sick/live in a mess/never have a clean sippy cup or bottle/have bad grades/won’t have any electricity or internet! Oh my!

This is the part where you’re like ok… I just spent way too long reading this rant, and it doesn’t look like it gets better for this girl. And maybe you feel a little down now listening to my woes. For that I apologize. If you’re reading this, I obviously decided to go ahead and publish this post, although I seriously thought of doing otherwise.

Well, you’re right. I haven’t solved any problems during the course of this rant, and I don’t know if I ever will. I think I will always struggle with feeling like I’m not as good as I could or should be. I think I will always be seeking the next best thing, or a new hobby to take up so I can keep my brain active.

If you’re reading this and you feel like this sometimes, let me here you say I! What do you do to feel better about it? If it wasn’t so late I would practice some stitches on my new sewing machine, and if I wasn’t at a dead end with my Intro to Design project I would work on it. Instead I think I’ll go to sleep and rest this tired mind of mine.

Happy not-so-happy Friday, and may your Saturday be merry and not as busy as mine is going to be!

My Etsy Shop & Giveaway!

Besides having recently started this blog, I am also relatively new on Etsy, too! I started my shop, The Littlest Print Shop last month, and I won’t lie- I expected it to take off quicker than it has. I’ve scoured the internet and Pinterest for tips and advice on creating a super successful shop, and I feel like I’ve followed the steps as best as I can! I’ve put myself out there on all the social media platforms that I have, and even approached women that fall into my target audience, and offered them coupon codes- and nothing! Sometimes not even so much as an “Ok, thanks!”
Darn you Facebook messenger for allowing me to see that someone has seen my message and just doesn’t want to reply.
I even went the extra mile and had these super cute business cards printed, so I could hand them out to the women I know through work.
                
Ok, so I’ll stop whining now and get on to more about my shop! I’ve been creating my own invitations and announcements for awhile now (my first was an invitation to my graduation party, and I’m embarrassed that I thought they were the bees knees), and people are always commending me for my talent and saying how great my work is. With some prods and words of encouragement from a few people- namely my Aunt Jen on one or two occasions- I opened up shop. I have no real experience with photography, and especially not product photography. It’s pretty difficult to take interesting pictures of pieces of paper, so I established the signature style of having the wood of my kitchen table as the backgrounds to my products.

When it came to pricing my products, I looked at similar items on Etsy that were big sellers. For now I’m offering the actual, printed invitations, and not digital files, so that’s what I looked at prices of. I also checked out Shutterfly and Tinyprints to see what they charge per invitation/announcement/card. Once I had my price per card, I figured in the time it would take me to edit a customized piece, and tacked that on. I estimated the cost of adding envelopes, and then I had my price. To me, it seems extremely fair, considering I’m not charging for shipping! Since I’m also a newbie, I didn’t feel right about charging an arm and a leg for my items. If the price doesn’t seem right, or I find that I’m not actually making anything, once I start selling, then I can reevaluate.
So, with all this information, I’d love to hear from any Etsy sellers, or even freelancers or non-virtual shop owners! What am I doing right and what am I doing wrong, and am I just impatient?!
I’m itching for a sale- not for the money, but for the excitement of having my work “out there”.

Lucky for you guys, I’m giving away 20 FREE Invitations or Announcements of your choice from my shop! This offer excludes envelopes, but does include shipping to wherever you are, within the US. All you have to do is:

• Comment on this post saying “I Love Etsy”
• Tell me if you’ve ever purchased from Etsy and if so, what did you like about that experience?
• Your email address

Because I’m not sure how large my readership is right now, I’ll keep this giveaway open until there are 10 comments on it. Once there are 10 comments, I’ll randomly select a winner. The winner will then be emailed by me and we can talk about your order from there!
Feel free to check out my shop before you enter this giveaway!