2010

revitalization

i'm beginning to understand and plan my own idea boards. the first one was pretty disastrous. then i started with simple colors first, and went from there.

below are the colors, textures, fonts, & "facts" that i will be using for packaging, banners, business cards, the fact card ~an amazing idea i got from a friend to display interesting things about myself~, as well as mailers.

one of my goals- eh, I dislike the word goal. How about, one of my decisions for 2010 is to be organized.

this a first step in the right direction! i have a very scatter brain way of organization, which works (those of you who are like me, you know where to find things when others think you're nuts! right?)

not only organization, but i wanted each print package to have the same flow. same kraft paper packaging, along with colors (and super cute buttons i'm excited to use...), patterns, etc. you get the idea.

i'd love to hear your feedback? any other color suggestions? packaging ideas? anything!

i'm all ears.

~~~

I hope everyone has a great New Year's. 

I'll be eating the traditional Pork & Sauerkraut here in Pennsylvania.

As well as watching The Twilight Zone marathon.

This is a special post for me. It marks an entire year ~plus a day, that I have been shooting fine art photography.

Last Christmas, I shot most of the day with a lensbaby. The photos that were produced were markers of meaningful locations in my hometown. It was also the beginnings of a new photographer within myself.

I thought it would be great to share with you, dear friends, those photos from last Christmas and I also wanted to share {4 new photographs} that were made this Christmas.

Christmas 2008

Christmas 2009

~these special new prints (back to berwyn) will be available for purchase January 2010~

Starting today you can enter to win a free 8x8 print (of your choosing) at Rhianne's beautiful blog " for the easily distracted..."

The giveaway ends on December 24th, hurry over and enter to win!

*the winner's print will be shipped December 26th, thank you!*

{the snow dance}

so while the snow was falling:

i chased charlie around the back yard. what a cute little snow bunny he's become.

read 3 chapters of dorian gray.

fought over blog templates.

made some delicious banana bread.

snuck in a secret nap down by the fire.

It's pretty obvious I have blog commitment issues. I haven't found the right style or layout to fit my needs and the hours I've spent mulling over templates that anger me have been adding up lately!
How is it possible to search through 137 pages of templates and not find a single one that I could spend my life with?!
Hm.
Templates are a lot like guys. You find one that looks good on the outside, everything seems to be in check and when you go ahead and go to dinner, he is out of control and messy and totally deleted all of your favorite blogs I mean, friends.

And blog skins, really? There are 17 year olds designing these perfect little creations but I don't really think I have the time to convert into xml, nor do I want to sit around making my own widgets. 
Any recommendations?


----
By the way, how many inches of snow did you get? I believe we're up to 9? :D

fluffy whiteness

It's snowing here, and it's so warm and peaceful in the house. 

This weekend I will finally be catching up on some reading...

and possible sledding :)

I actually picked up the picture of dorian gray as a gift to myself, but i may have to dig into that one today!

i hope everyone has a great weekend! whether it be in snow or sun :)

the list

i am a crazy, will leave 40 minutes early just to catch the previews, imdbing movie fool.

i love the cinema and have the overflowing DVD collection to prove it.

with the holiday season, my movie going has been at best twice this month. but there is a storm coming, with a outstanding list of new movies for us to feast on.

for myself, this includes:

the lovely bones * i am well aware of it's horrific reviews, and i am extremely fond

of the book. peter jackson, you sadden me.

brothers *saw it, loved it.

sherlock holmes * robert downey jr. 'nuff said? oh, throw some jude law in there. oh, more? Guy Ritchie is the director!

shutter island * probably the scariest book i've read this past summer. again, it's a win/win situation when you have Martin Scorsese directing, and Leo DiCaprio (who is easily surpassing my expections and more as an actor.)

legion * it seems that whenever God loses faith in humanity, He will thrust us into the unknown, expecting a fight back to the light. this time He sent Angels. i'm perfectly happy with Paul Bettany playing Michael the archangel.

the wolfman * Benicio Del Toro transforms in this epic remake of one of the most diverse tales of werewolves.

and in case you were a Russell Crowe interested fan, this just came in.

to say the least, i am very happy i have these movies to look forward to, knowing well that the weather is going to be gruesomely cold come january :)

how is your christmas shopping? is it obvious that i'm distracting myself from the stores by blogging about movies???

shhhhh. don't tell anyone...

the farmhouse

breathtaking. that word by itself, describes the house, the land, the people, and the animals. we had such an adventure at the farmhouse today. i couldn't wait to upload just a few images to show all of you.

i wasn't aware until we arrived that it was the 2nd most expensive home (by square foot) in pennsylvania. ::screams & dies in restorability bliss ::

for that reason, and the privacy of the owners, i can not show any exteriors. to be honest, i wasn't even told who the owners actually were!

so! the task at hand was to photograph Becky & Holly's (the most wonderful, fast talking, & truly inspiring interior decorators i have ever met) perfectly charming winter flower arrangements that they have prepared for each room of this flawlessly restored property.

note the use of delicately real eggs, feathers, holly twigs, and popped cotton branches.

What beautiful creations, right? We'll be working with these lovely ladies again on Tuesday putting together images for their new website. When it launches, I'll be sure to let you all know!

I've got quite a bit of wrapping to do today. Thankfully, I have season 2 of How I Met Your Mother to keep me company!

well.

i must give an enormous thanks to Rhianne because she was nice enough to talk me out of my 'what is going on with my blog!" craziness, andddddd gave me a helpful hint to maybe unlocking the great post comment mystery.

comments work now, so you can tell me how much of a fool i am :)

i've got some coffee brewing, music playing. i'm ready for the day.

i'm shooting on location at at a renovated farmhouse outside of Philadelphia. i am so excited!

i'll be sure to show some photos after they're done.

have a warm day everybody!

ok blogger god, another lesson learned.
.......apparently the post comments section is not working.

i
have to go
dress shopping now (ugh!)
hopefully
will
fix this problem
tonight
or early tomorrow

love,
tina
aka blog failure

Soooo...yeaaahhhh...

i learned a pretty powerful lesson today.

don't get crazy and change your blog template without a) saving the original & b) somehow saving your widgets and/or bloglist.

i had to somehow remember all my favorite blogs, i may have missed a few but i'll get there eventually!

in the meantime, anybody can comment with their go to blogs that could potentially make my life better, or make me less manic.

i like the simplicity of this new layout, and finally added a banner that i feel suits me better.

any thoughts?

Argus, Revisited

I'm putting together large size files for an event coming up, and I tend to stumble across images I had forgotten about. Forgot that I loved, and thought "Oh, I took that?".

This photograph is from when I lived in the Gay Street School building, in the "Phoenixville" era of my life. It got me thinking about all the changes since then.

Right now, while living somewhere temporarily, a lot of my things are packed away in storage.

that includes

my camera collection

boxes and boxes of books

furry comforters

this ^ green desk from The Dump

kitchen knife set

a completely unrelated bag of sour patch kids

the blue chair.

and of course, Piggy is staying in Quakertown with some friends.

I feel like a vagabond, just wandering and collecting and waiting. Although I am most definitely not alone, it can feel that way sometimes. I can forget that loved ones are just a phone call away. I should take advantage of that more often.

I have so much to look forward to, but the ocassional sting of loneliness wiggles its way in.

Reason #423 why I love photography:

The memories and stories that photos remind us of.

snow, hope, and some puppies!

we had a quite eventful weekend.

one of the biggest things that happened was our very first snowstorm(of the season)!

the weather channel was talking about it nonstop, it's kind of funny how snow takes over all the news stations, i think it even overshadows the tiger woods story (at least for 30 minutes).

we drove into south jersey for an 80th birthday bowling party, and let me tell you something. 80 year old bowlers are some SERIOUS business. they don't have small talk, or take coffee breaks. it's bowling. and nothing else. well, the occasional jab or two.

i also finally got to see funny people. i know it's long. but adam sandler's performance was very heartfelt. judd apatow's girls are just fantastic, and i loved jonah hill. i need more of him, and less of typecast michael cera in my life.

on our travel to meet Mike & Jill in Hope, New Jersey for their annual Christmas craft walk, we stopped at wawa for some early morning coffee and while coming out of the door I was suprised to see these beautiful vizsla puppies pouring out of their owner's windows!

anyone who knows me knows that i am completely dog crazy. i grew up loving dogs, and it's continued into my adulthood. we always have dogs at the studio (whether it be Chester, Charlie, Miss Leah (rip), and little Danni has even paid us a visit). we are a dog loving, biscuit giving, "chester don't eat that towel!" chasing studio.

i especially loved the Momma dog, her fur now a sparkling, majestic white, sitting patiently while the other two were complete wiggle worms!

the Hope Christmas craft walk was so perfect. We had the most delicious apple cidar donuts I have ever eaten. Nice and Hot apple cidar, and some really great antique stores were visited. I love the Holidays!

this week might be potentially crazy at the studio, we have some cookie recipes to shoot, an enormous box of chocolates came for the Market Day catalog, and an advertising postcard with a food stylist. somewhere in there, i have to paint 7 frames, mat 10 photos, and make some very special gifts for a few friends. whew. don't you love Christmas?

Anybody do anything noteworthy this weekend??

2010

are you ready, are you ready?

i am so pleased to announce my official 2010 Calendar!

I just received a fresh batch of loose-leaf Calendars just in time for the last minute gifts!

This is sincerely my little idea baby, and I'm so proud (and relieved) that they turned out this well.

the specs:

printed on heavy glossy card stock, the 2010 12 month Calendar measures 5x7.

like i said earlier, it is a loose Calendar. I love the idea of someone putting months on their idea boards, fridges, or even in tiny easels on their desks. It makes me so happy to have my art around all year!

You can purchase a Calendar at ETSY and SUPERMARKET

After a very stressful day at the studio, I just had to post about these little gems.

What do you guys think?

Keeping on with the Supermarket news...

These 3 prints "Keiko Bird series" are available exclusively on Supermarket!

They measure 5x6 printed on Hahnemuhle fine art paper (8.5x11)

I am so in love with this series. I've already gotten 3 custom matt and frame orders for them (yay!). I'm lovin' that people are lovin' them.

It's the Holiday season, and I'm giving some extra lovin' to Supermarket.

If you haven't checked it out yet, go here!

supermarket fresh!

Few people know that I sell prints on SuperMarket ( a sweet little design market that caters to customers, and sends them directly to the designers!)

There are some insaneeeeeee artists over at Supermarket, and I vowed to give it just as much attention as Etsy. I'm in love with the quirky t-shirt designs, beautiful jewelry from brooklyn, and outlandish 70's style prints. Ahh! You gotta see for yourself!

Etsy, don't fret. You are my love, too. 

Here are a few favorites from SuperMarket!

John Murphy

Munstre

CORKY

Melissa Borrell

Modern Lovers

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I'm off to buy some clearance ribbon, and get some coffee. STAT!

ANNOUNCING:

Let's break it down.

Choose 2 prints to purchase, and choose ANOTHER 2 prints to be printed as an 8x8 and a 5x5. Please let me know the names of the prints you'd like for free, and which size.

Example:

Notes to seller: passing by 8x8 and mariella 5x5

Good? Yes? Yes!

Oh! and my 15% off Holiday sales will still be offered during the Black Friday Sale.

So everyyyyything you're getting is worth $70.00 but for two days only it will be for $34.00!

And of course, your discount will be refunded back

 to you through paypal after your purchase.

Green and Pretty

It's 10:07 and I am totally behind on my pie count this morning! I just wanted to quickly share that I did an interview with Courtney for her blog Green and Pretty.

This was my very first interview as a fine art photographer, and her questions were fantastic. They really made me think, and sort of dig deeper about who I am, artistically.

(if you haven't noticed, I have a severely hard time writing about myself. Especially in bio form)

If you have time today, head over to the post to learn a little about me

back to the pies, kiddos!

she is a little trooper. even 4 year old have bad days, but she still let me follow with my camera.

i like this camera. still though, so much to learn. i don't like that cayla's feet are cropped out. but i have my anxious/impatient personality to thank for that. still getting used to those guidelines!

all the crazy things happening in the 2nd photo is...um ::shrugs:: no idea! assuming the emulsion was stuck, and i guess the green streak is a light leak. although the camera hasn't done that since so it's not a concern.

____

this week is crazy. thanksgiving! i have 4 pies to bake by thursday, a bar mitzvah to edit, and my mom moves to florida this weekend. i'm really good at disconnecting myself from situations that cause myself or someone else pain. i have definitely done that with her leaving. we caught up yesterday and i helped with boxes. we cried and hugged for 10 minutes and even though nothing was said it just made me feel better. i feel like i just got her back and already we're saying our goodbyes. she's unbelievably strong, courageous and, determined. this will work out. love you momma.

Winner!

Congratulations to Colin!

You will receive "oh, philly" matted for an 11x14 frame :)

Thanks for playing everyone!

___

I just needed to vent about the seriously horrible printer fiasco I had this weekend. Because of this fight with that mean little machine, I am on the look out for something NEW! Any suggestions? I was looking at the Epson 3880 (it would be for use at everybody at the studio too). I do love using my lab, but I really miss working with the print myself. The old printer just hasn't been giving me the same quality, so I packed it away. It was a mistake bringing it back out, I went through so much paper and frustration, and lots of coffee.

...it's staring at me while I type this and I'm actually getting angry! ;)

friday link love and a free print giveaway

i've made some print sets to share with you! they all have a cohesive look which is exactly what i wanted to go for. i'm pretty excited to get them on etsy, and hopefully they do well, so take a peek.

squared 8's set

also just out are the long 8's

and get the birds

____

i am having a little giveaway over at facebook!

for this weekend only, you can win any 8x8 print from my shop. all you have to do is become a fan if you aren't already, and leave a comment under "free print - enter here" with the name of your favorite print. 

i'll be picking the winner by random sunday night and contacting you monday morning! sounds pretty easy smeezy.

____

and because i got so much hell from my friends about this, i am TOTALLY excited to see New Moon today! One of the reviews on rotten tomatoes stated that Lautner (eh hem, Jacob) acting improved tremendously sans shirt. maybe there would be oscar buzz if he took his pants off. ohhhh ha ha, so funny you are mr. rotten tomato guy. so funny. har har. :)

____

New Moon

In two days we'll be celebrating a 24th birthday,and an insanely anticipated (like a 14 year old girl) movie release. We decided to slip into the 11:00am showing, hoping that'll cut down the screeching girls a bit...

Happy early Birthday Brittany!

sloth-like

Happy Tuesday! I feel kind of lazy today,even though I've been to the post office to mail prints, grocery shopping for chicken fajita chili, looking for a cute outfit to wear for B's birthday, anddddddddddd primed and painted some square frames I got from TJ Max for $1.50 each. God, I love thrift shopping!

Surprisingly I have not taken a nap. Hm.....

Maybe the guilt of not picking up my camera in the past two days has urged me to write a post. I do have some exciting new land camera photos to share, but the laziness (there it is again) has taken over. I'll scan those babies in tomorrow.

Back to the kitchen to check on this chili!

By the by, has anyone caught the WWII in HD series on the History channel? I've been a nerd the past 2 nights in a row, watching it. It's breathtaking, and heart stopping. The footage shown is just...I can't explain. I have  a friend who worked in the post production team for the series. I know he's pretty proud of the end result.

don't forget I am having a 15% off sale at the etsy shop

The Breathless Ones

'the breathless ones' will be sold exclusively on my website. they are available as 5.5x5.5 note cards (can also be framed!) with matching envelopes, as well as 8x8 prints. the 1inch thick border will be visible on your print.

i'm head over heels with this set. the colors, the dimness of the light, everything.

i hope everyone has a nice weekend!

[note- the website shop is now divided into sections, 'prints' & 'cards'. i will be adding more items to the 'cards' sections shortly. annnddd skip over the bio, i am the most intense procrastinator and i feel like a tool talking about myself. i'll finish it one day, promise.]