Back to life, back to re-al-i-ty...

So, I am now a Mrs. Yup, you heard it here first. I wear a wedding band, answer to the title "wife" and guess what? I LOVE IT! Though day-to-day life if pretty much the same, I feel even closer to Ben. When we got our marriage license the other day I looked at him and smiled...this literally binds us I thought. It didn't scare me, but I noticed, trust me.

The wedding was perfect. I'm convinced that my little sister who passed many years ago brought me my wedding gift...sunny skies, 71 degrees, and not a drop of rain. It was truly perfection. We danced the night away, laughed, cried, and loved. We are so blessed.

The honeymoon was no less than perfect as well. The Yucatan is a rad place, somewhere that everyone should visit. We snorkeled, visited Mayan ruins, lounged poolside, and enjoyed our first vacation as Hubs and Wifey.

Thank you to everyone that took part in our special wedding journey. Love and gratitude to each and every one of you.

Crafternoon

I love crafts! I find them soothing, challenging, entertaining, and fun. I spent a recent Sunday afternoon crafting this cake topper for our upcoming nuptials. Cute? For sure.

I Like St. Mike's

St. Mike's has a new look thanks to some brilliant collaboration, design, copy, and concepts. Shout out to all of those involved!

MOOoooOOOoO

If you live in Burlington or a surrounding area, I'm sure you've seen the bodacious bovines, but here are my fine ladies! The display season is coming to a close and the cows will soon be "put out to pasture." Please support local charity by buying one. I think they'll make mighty fine lawn ornaments!

MacBook Pro

I splurged! This laptop is a machine! My software (CS5) hasn't arrived quite yet, but I can already tell that this was a worth while purchase.

It's a beautiful day, so I'm heading outside!

Computer Addiction

At the moment, I'm sitting on my couch contemplating purchasing some brand spankin' new hardware. I was also just told by Ben (my fiance) that I might have a computer addiction, that I sometimes "really zone out on the computer." Great.

True?
Yes.

But, in my defense, it is any different than zoning out in front of the television? Would it be better if I was doing that?

I blatantly refuse to purchase a smart phone. I can't feed the addiction any further. I can't allow myself to monitor my viral communications (work email, personal email, teaching email, Facebook, pregnantnotfat.com, PC banking, etc.) even more than I already do.

I'm going to close the laptop now and head to Small Dog to buy a new one.

Work Sampling

Becky Danaher original vector illustrations for Saint Michael's Playhouse

Eat.Pray.Love

I know, I know...a chick flick. But, in my defense, it was a well-written, heart-warming book before it ever thought of becoming a chick flick. It's funny, I left the theater not caring about the acting, the story or the dialogue. I left with an urge–an urge to quit my job, hop on plane, and travel the world with everything I need in a backpack (with Ben of course). I want to skip town after the nuptials and avoid the impending baby questions...the ones that my family and friends will undoubtedly begin asking. "When do you think you'll start trying? Right after the wedding?" Trying what, Aunt _____? To keep my steadily growing career intact? To spend some time as a married couple? To save money to buy a house rather than a wall-sharing condo? To get in good enough shape to run a half marathon? Yes, I'll be "trying" to do everything BUT have a baby. I mean, you do realize that you're asking about my sex life, right? Personal? I think so.

To Understand the Meaning of Design

To understand the meaning of design is...to understand the part form and content play...and to realize that design is also commentary, opinion, a point of view, and social responsibility. To design is much more than simply to assemble, to order, or even to edit; it is to add value and meaning, to illuminate, to simplify, to clarify, to modify, to dignify, to dramatize, to persuade, and perhaps even to amuse.

Design is both a verb and a noun. It is the beginning as well as the end, the process and product of imagination.

Paul Rand Graphic designer.
From his book Design, Form, and Chaos,
Yale University Press, New Haven, 1993.

Sachplakat

If I had to guess, none of my readers actually know what "Sachplakat" means. If I remember correctly, it was a genre of advertising, dating back to the early 1900's in Germany. The Germans and the Swiss really know how to design posters. Google it, you'll see what I mean. People often refer to this style as "object posters." Or maybe that's actually what Sachplakat means...maybe I should google that.

Why object poster? Well, the art speaks for itself. The stark contrast of color, the defined shapes coming together to create an object...oh the beauty. I hate almost every poster I see today. Too much copy, too many colors, nothing to draw your eye in. I wish people understood that a well-designed poster only needs to accomplish one thing: make people look at it. If you draw them in, they'll see the smaller details (time, date, location, etc.). That information doesn't need to be huge, bold, or the star of the show.

The Daily HELLer

I love Steve Heller. He's a designer, a writer, a terrific blogger, and is known around the globe by any designer that actually loves design and loves to read about it. He writes for AIGA, is a Co-Chair of the MFA Designer as Author Program at the School of Visual Arts. He's one of those professionals with a resume that could make just about anyone drool.

So anyway, to get to the point, I read a post by Steve this morning that made me furious. Shillington College, which has several campuses around the world, is running this ad.

Shouldn't Shillington want their students to leave with a valuable degree, one that can be sustained? A degree that not every Joe-Schmo out in the universe can get, and get "quickly"?? To me, the message in this ad is: We'll teach ya' real quick and send you out into the world with no real passion for what you do. Get in. Get out. Done.