Artistic Challenge

I've sent an email to several of my most artistic friends and presented them with a challenge: to document their life for one month through a medium of their choice (photography, sketching, painting, photoshop, whatever).

This idea came from Illustrator, Tiffany Ford's blog. I will be keeping the journal, and documenting the highlights here, as well as anything my friends choose to contribute.

TRAINy Day

Im currently on the train from my nice, quaint suburb hometown to Chicago, aka the loop, aka the theatre district and tourist central. It looks like absolute crap outside, thus, my awesome post title. (Get it?).

Morning train rides are the best time for some serious thinking. Example: do my new boots look stupid? Why did I never have the guts to die my hair blue in college like the art student sitting across from me? Why haven't I drawn/painted/designed in months? Man, that's a really long list of jobs to apply to...

Obviously very serious, worthwhile thoughts (some more than others).

So, moral of the story: the bamboo sketch pad and I are going to have some serious re-getting to know each other time. Anyone want to give me one, single, temporary strip of blue hair where my boss can't see it? My boots are just fine, but I wish they were doc martens (a la, my childhood). Finally, I'll be throwing a cover letter writing party tonight, can't wait.

It's becoming a thing...

I realized earlier today that I have started to document my crazy work days and the tumultuous fall Chicago weather with pictures of... Well, my feet.

Life update: 3 jobs, count 'em, 3. Still working on that (paying) dream job.

Truth

If you haven't thrown snowballs, arm wrestled, argued over the rules to a drinking game, or had a dance party {just the two of you}, you haven't lived. Thats whats out there and that we should all be able to find.

~gone fishing.

Slight Obsession...

With Minnetonka double fringe boots. Need. Them. Now. {Apologies for the low quality photo, attempting to blog from my iPhone for the first time}

Musical Happiness

Recently, I've rediscovered my love for and infatuation with The Shins. Some of the absolute best times this summer have revolved around this band: Dancing in the sun with free beer at Lollapalooza, a dance party at 3 am with my sister and some new friends, and starting to paint again.

I love when a song can provoke a memory, either good or bad. It can be a reminder or a past love, a horrible fight, or trying to teach your older sister's rather uncoordinated friend a new dance move. Love, loss, and hilarity.

Enjoy:

The Shins, "Simple Song" 

(Does this video remind anyone else of The Royal Tenembaums?)

x. alice

p.s.

After thinking about my last post {and looking through the photos on my phone} I realized that my strong opinionated statement on taking pictures of food was just a little bit hypocritical. And by just a little bit... I mean completely. Food is pretty. It tastes good. It makes people happy. Especially when served with wine.

Snap away, shutterbugs, snap away.

picnic edition food porn. ahem, picnic porn?

sad truth.

This cartoon is an incredibly accurate description of what my peers think is "food porn". News flash to anyone that has Instagram on their iPhones, we are not all professional photographers. Some things you eat do NOT need to be documented for all of your friends to see.

Acceptable food shots: incredibly pretty food/table arrangements, extremely strange food, or if you're just proud of the fact that you somehow managed to make something edible for once in your life and want to prove it to your Mom.

nom nom nom. alice.

New Obsession

My obsession with daily lifestyle/fashion/DIY blogs is reaching a boiling point. I might actually begin to put together real outfits and projects to post about, rather than complaining about how bored I am.

Today I attempted a DIY necklace I found on Honestly...WTF. I really like this blog, lots of interesting ideas that have inspired a long list of projects I'm really excited to try and alter to my own aesthetic and abilities.

Here is her version:

honestlywtf.com

Here is my necklace:

I decided to use two strands of leather string and a long gold chain, all found at Hobby Lobby. If you like this version, simply tie the two colored strands around the hook of the chain, and braid the three together, tying the strands together at the other end. Not quite as high fashion looking as the bracelet that inspired it, but I tried. 

Maybe my next post will be an outfit picture? Depends on whether or not I can teach my 10 year old brother to take a non-blurry shot. 

x. alice

Instaroundup

Wow, haven't posted in over a month. I would say sorry, but I'm 99.9% sure only one or two people actually know this blog exists.... so whatever. 

Life has been pretty much at a standstill here, besides a few very fun weekends and very frustrating job developments. Still no career. Still nannying {the kids just got 3 guinea pigs, oh sweet joy}. Still do not own a pair of lilac colored cropped skinny jeans. This last update might just be the most troubling to me. 

I have decided 3 things though:

1. While I will continue to apply for real, big girl jobs, I will also start applying for others. This means I'm coming for you Anthropologie. I promise to be a hard worker and spend all of my paychecks on your stock. {I need sweaters and cash}. 

2. Lollapalooza kicked my arse. It has been one week. I am still recovering. 

3. I will be healthier. I will take my dog on 3 mile walk/runs until we both are about to pass out and one day soon, we will hopefully not look as pathetic doing so. Pencil skirts will one day be my friend, not my nemesis.

So the "Instaroundup" the title of this post promised shall commence.... right meow.

x alice.

Big Stuff

Many, many things have happened the last few days, and many more are coming up!

Good things:

I should be hearing back from a job in Boston any day now. I don't have enough fingers to keep permanently crossed. I would very much like to start apartment hunting. 

My best friend's birthday is tomorrow. Happy Birthday Caldawg. I will never stop calling you Caldawg, including in my maid of honor speech at your wedding. Prepare yourself.

Death Cab for Cutie FO FREE at the Taste of Chicago on Thursday. Arts Admin, Art+Design reunion!

My cousin's first show since his apartment caught fire a few weeks ago is tomorrow night at the Double Door in Chicago. His amps and instruments somehow survived the fire, smoke, and water damage with minimal repairs needed. The family will be celebrating accordingly.

Pretty Lake again on Friday. 

INDY ON SATURDAY! QUESO! LA PIEDAD! FRIENDS! 

Bad things:

My brother and I were involved in a hit and run accident when we tried to take a cab home from a bar in the city saturday night. Very scary, but we are safe, no one was injured. But still, buzzkill ending to an amazing Trolley Bar Crawl with friends. And I now know for sure that I am not the person you want with you when something like that happens, I don't have a calm bone in my body.

I guess that fire should be included on the bad things list, too. 

Matthew siblings, pre-crash.

Binging & Purging

Its time to cut ties. There are people that are not necessary to see and interact with on a daily basis, that just make me feel bad. As much as I hate it, it has been necessary to unfriend, unfollow, and delete someone from my life in order to effectively move on and start the next chapter. Social media, while useful, is a stupid thing that, 99% of the time, only causes bad things to happen. 

Maybe I should just delete facebook once and for all? Move to a new city where I can meet someone and say, "Hi, my name is Erin. Lets get to know each other before knowing our entire lives and histories because of a computer." 

Happy 4th Y'all. Independence is the name of the game today.

Fall Forward

As the summer weather really starts to hit (100+ degrees) I immediately begin fantasizing of chilly temperatures, falling leaves, hot coffee to go and hats & scarves. My closet revolves around outfits for fall. I find myself thinking "this top would go great with a cardigan, boots and jeans" or "I want to be wearing tights more than anything right now." I love boots, pashminas from Italy and red berets with pea coats and jean jackets. 

Hopefully by the time my favorite season comes around I'll be strolling through the streets of Boston (fingers permanently crossed). 

Summer Boredom

I never realized just how boring life after college would be. For example, the list of things I'm excited about in the next week are things that would have felt like obligations (or at least, bottom of the list) 3 months ago:

1. haircut

2. sleepover with my 8 year old cousin

3. new episode of Modern Family recorded on the TV

4. long walks with my dog

5. nannying

6. having somewhere to drive to

I need a job, or to move. ASAP.

take this to heart

I wish I could go back to college...

So I did.

Sort of.

I'm still in pain from 2 nights ago. It has been 5 weeks since graduation and I already feel old. 

This past weekend I visited a very good friend of mine, Graceface, at The University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. That is three Iowas in one sentence. Now 4 in one paragraph.

One of the best feelings in the world is being reunited with a friend that you haven't been able to see in months. Reunions are why people say absence makes the heart grow fonder, because the second you see that person again, you completely forget that awful feeling of missing them. 

just goofin.

The feeling old aspect of the weekend was just that... I'm done with under grad. There is no need to hang out at bars with freshman who are using a fake ID for the first time. Even if it is fun to troll on them as the grind on platforms in a sleezy club. A slightly amazing part of being grad-e-ated (as I was told is the proper way to spell graduated) was this conversation...

friend: I have so much homework to do tomorrow, it will take me hours.

me: that sucks. I never have to do homework again. Oh my god. I never have to do homework again!

As they kept saying in Iowa (for some unexplainable reason)... 

"Hang loose, brah"

Reaching Out.

I really don't cope well with someone being mad at me, or even the possibility of it. I'm one of those people that when I finally manage to stand up for myself, I immediately feel bad or guilty about saying what I felt. My mother taught me and my siblings to "kill them with kindness." There really is so much more satisfaction watching someone squirm when they know that you should be telling them off, just because you smiled and were friendly, or even spoke to them at all.

However, that doesn't always work. It can make you a doormat. I'm working on not getting walked all over. 

I have been known to fly off the handle in the past, often times even if I am the one in the wrong. I have more trouble when I am right, or even have a peg leg to stand on in an argument. Some people just need to be yelled at to understand why they are wrong, and to get it through their thick skulls.

But sometimes, the fighting isn't worth it, the friendship is. An olive branch needs to be extended at some point, and I just have to man up and do it. 

Here's hoping it was worth it. 

quite literally, an olive branch

p.s. considering a random backpacking trip to Europe. quite possibly the most exciting plans on the horizon.

Google Art Project

My temporary job (while I wait for my career and real grown up life to start) is a nanny for four kids. Their parents are really gung-ho about psychotheraphy and education at home, outside of the catholic school they send the kids to during the year. My job is to make sure they complete two hours of "learning" by doing online math classes, reading, or watching educational shows. The fun thing for me, is that the kids are really interested in art history. 

Google has recently started the Google Art Project. Completely for free you can go online and visit most of the world's biggest art museums, like the Art Institute of Chicago, Moma, The Smithsonian and the Tate Modern. Each museum has at least 70 works online. The kids love the fact that while they might be in a suburb of Chicago in their Dad's office, they are also able to travel to Paris via the internet to see art. 

As an Arts Administration major at Butler, I am completely geeking out over this. My classmates and I learned about some arts organizations taking the initiative to show more of their collections online, or increase the educational content on their websites. Some opera companies stream performances live into movie theaters around the country. But I haven't seen anything like this. 

My one complaint is that although it is simple to search by artist, museum, or the name of a piece of art work, there really isn't any additional information available. It requires outside research or "googling" by the viewer that could easily be included on the site. 

All in all, there is something so amazing about hearing a thirteen year old boy shout "Oh cool! Van Gogh!" when he could be skateboarding. 

Google Art Project Website

(there is also an iPad app!)

Pathetic

I both love and hate social media. On one hand its a great, interactive way for people to communicate and market new things. On the other, it is the new version of not inviting someone to your birthday party in elementary school. Its funny how putting someone on limited profile on facebook, or blocking them on twitter now means the same thing as "we're no longer friends". Its just sad. I'm guilty of it too, which makes it that much worse. So, sorry to those who I have unfriended, or unfollowed, even if it was unintentional (computer illiterate, you hit one wrong button one time!). 

I'm going back to snail mail... or emails. I don't have enough patience for snail mail.

For Your Viewing Pleasure... a cliche.

A black and white poster image of James Dean was a bit of a cliche on girls' dorm room walls in college. 

But... come on. 

Why don't they make them like this anymore?

Feeling sick today, kind of just want to curl up with my puppy and watch old movies.

Currently listening to: The Decemberists January Hymn

Application Station

Its been a very productive hour. Four jobs applied for, three of which were for Americorps, which could make for a very interesting year! 

current application stats:

Boston - 2

San Francisco

Georgia

Fingers crossed on the Boston applications, one of them is a really great development job for a performing arts organization that I would LOVE to work for! (And who doesn't love that accent? I'm gonna marry me a Southie!)

Stir Crazy

I have the urge to get out. To run, or simply move. Living at home is nice because I don't need to pay rent, or utilities, or for food. But... its still living at home. I have recently started seriously searching for jobs in other cities. A change is needed, majorly. 

Possible cities:

Boston, MA

Savannah, GA

San Francisco, CA

Washington D.C.

Good ol' Chicago

Lots of work to do before any of this can happen. Cover Letters won't write themselves!

Fun.

I am already having so much more fun with this blog than I ever did a year ago. I've decided to include some of my design portfolio, my favorite pictures that I have taken (or have snapped lately), some songs stuck in my head currently, and things that I see that inspire me artistically and in many other ways. 

Hopefully I'll keep up with this. Many adventures to come this summer - trips to the lake, the city, festivals, shows, fun nights out, and my day-to-day experiences nannying four kids all under the age of 13. All will be documented here. Fingers crossed somewhere in the middle of all the craziness I manage to get a job... and a tan.

peace.

Let us try this one more time.

I started this blog last summer, right before my senior year of college. I got really excited about it... for about a month. All of those posts from last summer have been deleted. I'm starting fresh. I doubt anyone will actually read or see this, but this is now all about my journey from graduating college, to becoming a full-out grownup (complete with student loan payments, job searches, dating woes, and friendships new and old). 

Current Life Stats:

    Unemployed

    Living at home in Glen Ellyn, IL (escaping to Chicago as often as possible)

    Amateur graphic designer

    Aspiring Arts Administrator

Currently listening to The Lumineers: Ho Hey "I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart!"

Me, myself, and I