When you're sick...

you don't want to sleep but you have to

you get tired of watching movies

you think of all these ideas you can't do because it hurts too much to lift your head

you aren't hungry... but when you are you're too weak to make any food... so then you pretend you aren't hungry

you feel blurry

you can't write

you're clammy all the time

when you finally can lift your head, you work too hard and then have to lay down again

you want to be alone but are sad when no one wants to come over 

I've been sick all weekend and am still getting over it. I should be thankful as I haven't been sick in a while, but it still is awful. My sister has been gone all weekend (she still is not home) so I've been by myself and I hate it! Cabin fever x 100,000,000. 

So that's all for now. Editing photos from my sister's graduation party that I'll put up on Thursday. And then I'm off to Florida for a little island getaway and my company's annual meeting -- see why I need to get better?!

Hope you are having a great non-sick week!!

Yes Pop-Up in Highland Park

Just got an email about a Yes Studio Pop-Up this weekend in the LA area. I'm bummed I won't be on the west coast to check this out! They'll have some handmade goods from a recent trip to Chiapas, Mexico (think unique handbags, chocolate and coffee). 

Stop by if you are around and look out for their monthly Pop-Up events this summer!

Yes Studio Pop-Up

Sunday, May 31st from 12-4 pm

227 1/2 South Ave 51

Los Angeles 90042

 

Location 2 blocks west of the Ave 52 Exit on the 110 Parkway

Life hacks for busy creatives

I have a busy lifestyle and while I can't really complain (I'm single and have no dependents, so it's really not that hard) I do try to maximize my free time so I can spend more time on what I love. Here's what I use:

Laundry

If you don't have a washer and dryer in your house you know that doing laundry is just that much more annoying. I just tried Washio for the first time and it worked out pretty well. I packed up my laundry and they came to pick it up during pre-selected hours. They asked my preferences and provided some sturdy bags for wash and fold and dry cleaning. I scheduled when I wanted them to return the clean laundry and voilá, laundry was done. Is it expensive? Yes. But if you factor in time gained and hassle lost, it may be worth it for you. Use this referral code (echeveste99453dy61) for $10 off your first order if you want to try it out!  

Grocery Shopping

I'd love to try Blue Apron, but it's just not worth the cost for me. It would make sense if I knew my sister and I were going to eat all the meals, but our schedules are so full that sometimes neither of us are home for dinner for days. I wish there was a one meal option, but there's not! 

Instead, I use Relay Foods, which allows me to schedule a pickup of the groceries I want. They even have meal plans with recipes that focus on fresh, local veggies. You can pick a recipe and add all the ingredients to your cart with one button. We've been doing this for weeks now and it is amazing. Try out Relay Foods for yourself!

Clothes Shopping

I tried Stitch Fix once and hated it. I know others have had better experiences, but it just wasn't for me. I signed up for Daily Look's Elite Box and LOVE it. I'll have to post about my next box to share what I get next. Until then, try it out for yourself: use this link for a two-month free trial of Elite Box! 

what do you use to save time? are these services worth the cost for you?

may goals

What happened to April? It was Easter and then boom, done. Flowers are blooming everywhere and we've had some good rain showers. I love Spring and wish it could last longer! 

I meet some really awesome people this month and got to connect at my favorite events including Creative Mornings, Little Salon and art events at Hillyer. I went to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom, ran a Twitter chat and went to New York twice for work. I also got to spend time with a good friend in town, take a class with co-workers at Culinaeire and go to the Sheep and Wool Festival. Whew. Busy, but a super great month! 

We released our 2015/2016 Cocktails + Craft schedule so check it out if you are interested in doing something creative and drinking with friends. 

Here are my goals from last month and what I hope to accomplish in May:

my goals last month

1. Journal once a week. I've been doing okay at this -- but I could definitely set more time aside. 

2. Prep fabric. I did this! Now I'm on to the fun part. 

3. #100daysofdresses. I've only missed a few days, but I always made them up!

my goals this month

1. Work on patterns/samples. I haven't had much time to work on my next collection, so it's really important I set time aside for this and get going on my samples. 

2. Have a fun Sazeracs and Succulents. Next Cocktails + Craft is this Saturday! I can't wait. 

3. Help my family plan an amazing graduation party for my sister. I'll be heading to Arizona in a few weeks to hang out with my family and celebrate my sister's graduation. 

how was your april? what are your goals for may? 

Three ways to break through a creative block

I'm packing for a last minute trip to NY and put on this Creative Mornings video -- I got so into it I've just been sitting here watching it!

The talk by Danielle Krysa on Humility. Krysa is the creator of The Jealous Curator, a blog where she shares art she loves (and wishes she had thought of!). She talks about how her idea of humility has changed over time and her split personality as writer for The Jealous Curator and an artist herself. 

I really resonate with everything she talks about -- especially the inner critic and ability to help others but inability to take your own advice. One of my favorite things that she shares are themes she discovered when writing her book Creative Block.  She asked each artist she interviewed how she gets out of a creative block and shares the projects they do to get out of it. 

I think the themes actually serve as three great ways to break through a creative block: 

1. Screw Perfection - don't worry about being perfect, just keep creating. 

2. Go Outside - Just go outside. She shares a fun idea to roll a dice and then whatever number you get, go out and use some form of transportation for that amount of time. See where you end up!

3. Make Rules and Play Within Them - set rules and then create within those parameters. I love this and do my best work this way. This is why most of my artwork is black and white or monochromatic. I need to come up with some new rules! 

Watch Krysa's whole talk here: 

What do you do to overcome a creative block? 

And now I have to pack. 

xx, 

Stephanie

p.s. Packing for 40-70 degree weather in NY is annoying!

big grafitti wall in Austin

Yesterday my sister and I attempted to spray paint these shelves metallic gold so we could finish up our living room. Our farm table dining table was made in the wrong size, so we are still waiting for locally-madeness to complete our home. In the meantime we thought, why not just spray paint these shelves in our living room instead of lugging everything down three flights of stairs and then literally watching paint dry?

Since we have virtually no newspaper in our house, we used trader joe's bags and ikea cardboard and plastic to cover our floors. Then we opened all our windows. Then we tried to spray paint two shelves and two chairs with one can of paint. 

We did not succeed. 

Two cans and one well-ventilated living room later, we still haven't finished. I went to get a third can today and the local hardware store is out. 

This made me appreciate the art (and mask) I saw last week in Austin. 

Hope Gallery

Hope Gallery is a three-story art project at 11th & Baylor Street in Austin, Texas. It was created to give muralists and graffiti artists a place to share their work and serves as one of the largest outdoor galleries in the US. It was launched by the HOPE Campaign in March 2011. 

I did not know about Hope Outdoor Gallery (HOG) until my co-worker mentioned it - she kept referring to it as 'that graffiti wall on Baylor'. My recent trip to Austin was my first trip to Austin so I figured - why not?! I was there for work (covering SXSWedu) and after a long week of sessions and summits and live tweeting we all went out to see this graffiti wall. The cab driver to this location was convinced this intersection of roads didn't exist, and our cab driver leaving had never seen it before. So, either we got two very clueless cab drivers or this place might still be a hidden gem for even Austin residents. 

It reminded me (of course) of Berlin. The weather was glorious, people were hanging out and art was being made all around me. We snapped some photos and climbed. What better way to spend the afternoon? 

Afterward we got some bomb southern food and experimental desserts... check back for updates on what I ate in Austin!

xx, 

Stephanie

p.s. I will be posting a bit less frequently, but at least once a week. So check back every Tuesday to ensure fresh content!