For the Graphic Designer on your Christmas list

In the kitchen: try these cute cutting boards. Pixel Apple and COOK!

by one of my very favorites! Chiasso

Tim Hawkins on Parenting

This is funny!

Simple Shoes

These are cool. Does anyone have a pair and are they as super-comfy as they appear?

http://www.simpleshoes.com/

Good stuff

Photographer Joseph Llanes.

Temper tantrums from a two year old... and teenagers

Saturday: My two year old has had no nap and hasn't been to bed at a decent time in weeks. He suddenly thinks he is a night owl. Despite this, we decided to head to Happy Joes for a little family dinner. All was fine until he spotted the cookie on the counter...the tantrum begins. Laying down on the floor in the middle of Happy Joes, I swoop him up as I feel all eyes on me. Now he's pissed. It's time to put his coat on and get him out of there. Not a good idea. Now he's really pissed. I know the whole place is staring and watching our every move as we attempt to deal with this lovely display of public outburst.

Now, for those moms and dads that have been through this, I hope you feel my pain. This public tantrum stuff is new to me, though, so I have a hard time with it. Being a parent and having all eyes on you is hard enough, but then you add fuel to the fire....a table of teenagers right beside us and what do I hear?

"I'm never going to have kids because you just get fat when you have kids. And then my husband probably won't even like me anymore, because you just get fat."

Are you kidding me?!?!? Oh yes, honey, please point this out while I'm 'enjoying' a toddler's tantrum with him screaming and flailing about. Please remind me that my version of exercise these days is lifting 30 pounds of dead weight off the floor as he kicks and wriggles away. Pleeeeeeeeeeease remind me again that parenting isn't hard enough, but now you have to judge the added inches on my hips and thighs and.......

Little did she know that I would rather be a mommy with a spare tire then supermodel skinny any day. And even though, at that moment, I could have beat her with the pizza box, it's worth every minute.

image snagged from Veer

Thoughts on design

I designed a logo for my friend's massage business a few years ago and now I'm working on some different business cards for her. The top one is the original with a bit more information, but I may see if she would like to go with a more simplified version like the two on the bottom. She usually does back printing for appointments, so I could add more info back there.

Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.

Discovering hidden treasures (and meaning?) in art

It seems as if I've stumped someone with my digital art. Exactly where are the pigs? Isn't that the best thing about art? The more time you spend looking at it, the more you may discover...

Here's a big clue: I used the above photo for PIGS. Now go and look at the oak tree again. ;-)

Digital Art

Ok, so I assigned my class a fun digital art assignment. They had to choose five different objects from which they had to base their design. They didn't, however, have a choice of what they got. The objects (chosen by me) ranged anywhere from a pickle, to a pink tutu, a yam, a knife, a garden gnome, etc. etc. The purpose of the assignment was to open their minds and explore their creativity, all while exercising their design ability.

It was interesting to see which path they took to create their piece. Some chose to combine hand drawing with vector, some used complete vector and some used photo manipulation. Some ideas were quite amusing and had a story, (a roller skating hot dog carrying a sword, not knowing his fate of skating too close to the electrical wires!) while others created a piece that was subjective and open for interpretation. I hope they had a good time with it. After all, why be a designer if you can't have fun once in awhile? And as promised, I even participated in the assignment with them.

Pictured above is my digital art using the following items:

• a fairy


• a crack in the sidewalk


• an eyeball


• an oak tree


• pigs (yes, pigs)

If you dig digital art like this, you may want to check out Deviant Art's digital section.

For this piece I used various images from istock.

You know you've been in the biz awhile when...

Have I officially been in the business awhile? Maybe, because I'm forgetting about things I've done!! I was researching for a current project when I came across a bunch of desktop wallpaper designs I did for the North Dakota National Guard years ago. I totally forgot that I did these! It was a fun project. I got to play around with texture and color, which is my favorite. I also got to utilize the wonderful illustrations provided by the Guard. (No, I didn't do the character illustrations...wish I could say I did, but I didn't. I can't even give credit because I don't even know who the Illustrator was!) I'm trying to recall what year these were done...hmmmm. Anyway, see all of them here.

Speaking of texture and color...I assigned my students a digital design assignment. I'm anxious to see what they've come up with. And I actually took part in the fun and did my own. Look for more to come in the next post!

Obama art

Did you know there is a blog dedicated to Obama art? The poster that Dan from Aesthetic Apparatus did a few weeks ago at NotStock is featured there, along with some other very striking pieces.

Check it: http://www.obamaartreport.com/

Pictured above is Dan Ibarra's print. ( I was one of the lucky ones to receive my very own...#23/105!)

Retro Wednesday

I've decided that I need to dig through old boxes and see if I really did keep some of this stuff...I just found a site where Starlite, Rainbow Brite's horse, is going for $95. Seriously??

I had it. Wonder if I still got it?

PS. Hey mom, how come you bought me Rainbow Brite's horse and not Rainbow Brite? Limited income must have meant getting the character doll accessories, not the actual character doll. Too funny. I think my neighbor Nicole had the actual doll. I bet the moms got together and made a plan. "Ok, I'll buy the doll if you buy all the crap that goes with it." Good plan, moms.

image snagged from here

Winter

Yep, I think I miss my 4x4...

Winter wonderland on my lunch break

Quick shot of nature's splendor yesterday by the airport.

Dog Thoughts: Part 5

You know what to do. Comment your caption. Make me laugh.

Random observations on a Monday

My brain is on overload as I was consumed by a menagerie of thoughts on my lunch break today. First I was observing all of the old signs that adorn many businesses along 3rd St. I thought to myself that I'll have to take photos of them and share them with you. There is something intriguing about the mystique of old signs; the typography, colors, style, etc.

Then I observed what a gorgeous winter day it is. After being stuck in the snow storm and cursing the weather for three days, today was one of those times where the beauty of it all really hit me. Of course I can say this now that I am HOME. Anyway, I wish I could just take the afternoon off and spend it taking photos. The snow is resting so gently on the trees. It is one of those rare moments in time where everything seems so peaceful. By this evening, it will have melted away and turned into dirty mush.

Lastly, I saw kids playing in the snow, moms giving sleigh rides, and vans full of mommies and kiddies rushing about. (Was it a Norman Rockwell lunch, or what?) It really got me thinking though...how lucky are these women? Do they not work full time? How come all the mommies were out with their kids while I was rushing back to the office? Hmmmm. Makes me wonder what percentage of moms get to spend those precious years at home with their kids. I, for one, feel very jealous of them today. My little man is off exploring life and learning new things each day as I sit here in front of this computer and write to a bunch of people in blogland. Doesn't seem right, does it?

The latest, Ed Schultz Show

Here's my latest web design. I had a lot of info to organize, so I hope I did it justice. I also got the chance to take photos for this one. Still working on some random rotations in the mast. Check back for more.

http://www.wegoted.com/

Staying Power

I found this website while researching for an upcoming project.

What a powerful image.

Makes you think, doesn't it?

My baby is growing up

Well, we made the step this weekend into a big-boy bed. Lil' man seemed pretty excited and stayed in it all night. It was so cute...we were sitting there and he stopped and looked at me while we were talking about his new bed and he said matter of factly, "Thank you mommy." Just like he knew this was something new and big. It was the most sincere, sweetest little moment.

With the new bed came new bedding of course. (mommy was excited) We went and picked out a new comforter and sheets at Target. He got to choose. Sports; basketballs, footballs, etc. or Transportation; cars, trucks, etc. He picked dars. (he can't say his "Cs") Mommy was delighted at the choice, because it matches the paintings I did for him last year!!

For now we are borrowing a headboard, but I found this set on PBkids that I would LOVE to get him. Too spendy, but perhaps I can find something similar locally.

images snagged from Target and PBKids

My new chair!

My hubby says I'm not allowed to go to Keatings anymore by myself. I come home with things I don't need. But seriously, how cute is the new chair I got this weekend???