Mundays!

So last Monday was Mundays, an event thrown every third Monday by Vision Design Studio the company I work for [ www.ilovemundays.com ]. Mundays is held at a local bar/restaurant and it's main purpose is to bring creatives together for food, drinks and good company...or for a more epic description it's "Another battle in humanity's eternal war against Monday."

This month around I was given the chance to design the poster and naturally decided to make Max, my Boston Terrier, the classy subject. After creating the poster, with the help of my coworkers, we made him screen-printable [if that's a word.] and put him on just about everything. I went home with some Max printed coasters, a poster and a T-shirt!

Check the next one out!
www.ilovemundays.com


photos by: Stephen Crout

Exciting.

After only two days I dropped that babysitting gig and started full time as web designer/developer at Vision Design Studio in the LBC...[haha home of snoop d-o double g.] I am liking it a lot. The people are good times, it pays enough to pay the bills and buy me a new leather jacket, and its teaching me new things like C#! I have been exploring the idea of starting my own company since I was a little one and recently I have been trying to figure out all the details. I like my job but ultimately I know that I will be the happiest working for myself/ with a few others from a home office with flexible work hours. I want to be able to do something new everyday. We spend so much of our lives working. I want to make sure that my work is what makes me happy. I will not settle for a life where I work just to make money so in my free time I can do something I like. My purpose in life is happiness. My happiness and the happiness of those I care about. My plan is to work at the job I have now for a while to gain more experience and save money. Then with a lot of planning and good timing I will start a web/graphic design studio along with Rita one of my best friends and someone who I know will be a great business partner. We work extremely well together and both are at our peak creatively in the evenings/nights. During the day I plan on exploring my photographer/artist self more and hopefully having an exhibit at some point. I would also like to start writing more songs and preforming. There is a lot that I want to do and I really want to be active in the community...Not to mention I want to start riding again. I look forward to that life...but until then I will know that what I am doing is positive and helping me move forward to making the successful switch over to the entrepreneur I am.

Update

A lot has been happening lately...which is exciting and naturally a little overwhelming. I scored a babysitting gig which I'm excited about that pays 14 an hour plus some gas money and is only three times a week in the evenings but will ultimately pay all of my bills. Along with that I just started doing some freelance design for set materials for a TV show that is shooting on the Warner Bros lot. It pays well and I'm thinking it will hopefully help me get work on some shows in their Art department, Which would be epic. Along with that I got an interview for a Web Developer position and have my second interview on Monday for that job. If I get that position it would be full time with benefits [INSURANCE!!] which would be sweet but it's about an hour away which would equal out to about ten hours of driving a week..egh! But it would be worth the experience...plus there are always audio books! Besides the new job situations I have been just working on some web design for Christy Bruneau a musician and trying to design a good portfolio. If I don't get the Web Developer position then I'll have enough time to work on improving my design and still have more than enough money for bills and other expenses...obviously if I get offered the position then I'll have a lot of hard decisions to make but until then I'm just going to do my best to get the job on Monday!

Also...I NEEEEDDD to start exersising again and getting out there. I need to make friends! Ben and I have been having such a good time together that we really haven't pushed ourselves to go out and meet new people like we would have probably done if we had come out here alone. It's been great hanging out with Ben but I'd really like to meet some girls with similar intrests in the area. I'm thinking of going to some of the bike coop type places around on the "ladies" night...and also joining a weekly cycling club or other clubs but I have been a little nervous about just making it happen. I think as far as the cycling club goes I really want to get back into some kind of decent shape before I join them for a 40 mile ride! I've decided that I can for sure fit in doing the route below at least 4 times a week...probably more and even though it is short [only 5.24 miles] it has a decent climb of 600+ feet and will be a good start at least. If it becomes too easy i'll push it further but I think that the climbing will help me get in shape and then i'll go on a few longer rides maybe on the weekends...drive down to Santa Monica and ride along the coast or something.

current work

Recent logo work for Shred Betties a woman's online snowboarding magazine

[part of an almost complete style guide I have been working on with Rita Manna]:

I've also just completed some simple but fun business cards for Benjamin Ireland who works in film behind the scenes. :) Also happens to be my boyfriend...but I had some free time and wanted to make something fun and new for him. I dig the orange the best.

Not doing so well with this am I?

So another post...I've been occupying my days [which fly by as if they didn't exist] with working on some design work with Rita and by myself. Nothing paid yet just work with the hopes of improving my portfolio and getting a job. I'm really doing my best to not have to get a temporary sales job or the equivalent but if I need to I will. There are a few job fairs coming up which I plan on attending. One which is really exciting. I found it on the AIGA event's calendar and it's one for poor suckers like me...just graduated design students. I've been thinking about working on building up my portfolio and then going for an internship at an impressive design agency...paid or not paid and work my way up. I am good at that. I don't expect or want a free handout. I know I am a good designer and can learn to be a better one and I am willing to work hard to continue to improve.

So far my favorite experience in L.A. is going to the movies. As plain as that sounds it's far more entertaining here. Everyone claps, yells etc through out the previews and then they really get into the movie. I've seen Brüno and Harry Potter and although Harry wasn't the best movie...I still had a lot of fun. Movies are more interactive here...plus I love that there are a lot of family owned theaters [reminds me of my dad's theater growing up in CT] and the Manager at a local theater even dresses the roll. He dressed like Harry but I suppose didn't feel up to dressing like Brüno. Can't blame him.

Ben has been cooking amazing meals for the last few days...a few i've managed to document...as you can see below:

Spinach Stuffed Chicken wrapped in Bacon...
and a fresh fruit cup...AMAZING
epic sandwich with tomato soup and
chips with homemade spinach dip
homemade salisbury steak, eggs, salad and he
made some way to spicy for chelsea wings.

Delicious. Oh and even though I got a dining room table and painted it and everything we still prefer to use Heather's Calvin and Hobbes coffee table and watch a good movie!

Recent pictures!

Ben and me at Zuma beach in Malibu

Hugh Jackman and me...taken for mom...

An Update! How rare...

Okay. Getting back on track now...I've been the process of moving from Tempe, AZ to Los Angeles and the process is finally over! I'm here! I'll post pictures below of the before and after process of moving in and decorating. My mom and dad helped move Ben and I over here on the weekend and then my mom stayed until thursday of last week [the 9th] to help us get settled in and to go to the beach! I had a lot of fun with her over here and was a little bummed when it was time for her to go. I haven't gotten to spend that much time with my mother in a long time and I really enjoyed it.

I've been here for a little over a week now and I am just starting the finding a job process. I'll admit I'm nervous. I keep finding jobs that I feel I would be great at and I keep sending emails out without responce. I am a hard worker and I am skilled at what I do. I know there are a lot of people applying for the same jobs as me that have more impressive portfolios than me. However, I know I am more than capable to produce equal quality work. My next mission, while searching for jobs, is to continue to improve my portfolio. Through out my schooling I have changed my major three times in an effort to customize my major to the education I wanted to recieve. I started out in Graphic Design and then moved to Photography. In both of these majors I got to take classes that I felt would help me be a more rounded person. I decided to finish my college career in the Design Management major which allowed me to expaned my knowledge in Marketing, Advertisment, Management and Economics. These classes, I believe helped me expand my potential from simply a designer to someone with leader potential. [Wow you can tell i've been writing a lot of letters lately...I sound like i'm trying to sell myself here! haha]

Anyway. I'm applying to more jobs today, writing more letters and hopefully getting someone to give me the opportunity to interview. I feel so comfortable in interviews...I feel like if I can just get into one then I will be able to get a job....of course I will need some proof that I am capable...so i'm going to get going on adding to that portfolio of mine!!

the lovely apartment:

Living Room while moving in:
Dinning room to Kitchen from front door:
Bedroom:
My office area to the left of the front door:
Living room to the right of the front door..in progress:Kitchen...with some decoration!

bad picture of bathroom with 50s pink and green tiling:

I'll post more before and after pictures once I get everything all together! But for now there is a hint of what it looks like!