I love making handmade cards! Unfortunately, I don't always have the time to make personalized cards, but here are 3 that I was able to squeeze in this past winter. I have been painting with oil and acrylic a lot, so cards give me the freedom to use different mediums.
This one is in watercolour. (I'd really like to make more interior scenes especially of places I photographed in the United Kingdom.)
This is a card of William Wordsworth's Rydal Mount that I drew with coloured pencils. If you'd like to view more of my excursion to the Lake District, you can read my post entitled, "A Weekend in the Lake District."
This is unfortunately the best picture I have of this card that I designed for my friends' 1920's themed wedding. The glue and paint warped it terribly, but I caked it in glitter to try to save it. I strictly live by the rule that glitter makes everything better. ;) If you'd like to see their engagement pictures by LynnDee Photography which also feature a chalk board announcement that I drew, you can visit this "Save the Date" post.
I want to see this. What's there not to like? It reunites Wedding Crashers stars Owen Wilson & Rachel McAdams, takes place in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and the main character travels through time to the 1920's and encounters F. Scott Fitzgerald (played by one of my new celebrity crushes, Tom Hiddleston) and Vincent Van Gogh! This has my name written all over it. So who's coming with me? Oh, and did I mention it's directed by Woody Allen?
This fall I will be a student again, yet this time I am enrolling as an English Major with a Music Minor. I'm hoping it will be useful if I want to pursue songwriting.. It definitely wasn't an instant decision. I've just never considered myself to be an effortless speaker nor someone who has impeccable grammar skills. In fact, in person, I have brain farts incessantly and am always doubting what I say, thinking it's too cliche. Plus, I'm an atrociously slow reader...so we'll see how this goes.
But at least I love words.
I always circle words I like in books or draw a heart next to ones that astonish me. If I don't know a definition of a word, I'll look it up in the thesaurus and write its alternate word in the column beside it. I have lists lying around my room of words that I've found colourful and expressive. And I frequently find myself saying , "Great word.", whenever a friend uses an obscure word I don't hear everyday.
Bottom line--I love words.
I just don't use the ones I love enough. Here's a list of words I intend to incorporate into my daily vernacular.
Betwixt - Realized this when it was used multiple times during last month's Royal Wedding broadcast.
Mustachioed - Wouldn't this be the ultimate description for some people?
Scintillating - This may be my favourite word ever.
Conundrum - James Mercer of The Shins used this in his song "Australia" years ago and I've been in love with it ever since.
Inherently - Mariah Carey used this word in her song called "Outside" which could arguably be her best song ever. I love it, yet never use it.
Prosaic - I think of that scene in "You've Got Mail" when Meg Ryan is trying to figure out what NY152 stands for..., "152 insights in-to-my-soul!"
Inundate- Why? Because I think it sounds prettier than 'flood' or 'overwhelm'. Don't you agree?
Opulent - Darling, because it's gorgeous.
Opalescence -Ugh. Great word.
Lustreless- It's so much more descriptive than "dull". Man, I love F.Scott Fitzgerald.
Gauche- I'm not going to lie, Robert Downey Jr. used this in a speech awhile ago. I've never heard anyone else use it. It means unsophisticated and socially awkward. In other words, the epitome of this blogger.
Penultimate - I've heard musicians use this frequently, describing the note that precedes the last. It could be used out of a musical context though.
Coagulate - I don't even know what this means. It just sounds cool.
These words will hopefully weasel their way into my daily speech as I attempt to retire overused beauties of mine like:
Crap - As well as variations such as: crapola, craptastic, & what the crap? I'm extremely skeptical about nixing this one. It will never happen.
Pretty Cool - This phrase needs to go. I've used it 200 times too many and my Miley Cyrus teeth shan't say it any longer. I'm trying to replace it with 'Epic cool'...It's quite the battle.
You guys's- I cringe to myself every time I hear myself say this. I need to switch back to "Y'all's". Just kidding.
Shan't- see "Pretty Cool" above. What was I thinking?
I want to hear other beloved words. What's your favourite?
Ooh...and here's a timeless song by the Bee Gees. I promise it will throw anyone in a good mood.
There are few that have pretty, elegant covers, but have been absolutely terrible. CoughSense&Sensibility&SeaMonstersCough.
But for the most part, I like finding old editions of books I love. Even if I already own a copy. It's nice to have a spare to lend to someone.
I always feel like Mel Gibson in "Conspiracy Theory" when I can't pass a copy of F.Scott Fitzgerald's "This Side of Paradise" or any Sherlock Holmes Collection. Each copy has its own personality for me.
I want these. I don't need them, but I WANT them. I only have one out of this collection designed by Coraline Bickford-Smith and I had to order it online. (The Hound of the Baskervilles By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)There are only two other editions that I have actually held and for some idiotic reason, I did not snatch them up.
Especially when one was Jane Eyre and my only copy is abridged...which I'm not going to bother reading. So as you can tell, I'm still stewing over that.
Ms. Bickford-Smith is pretty amazing in my opinion. . She's also designed a set of F. Scott Fitzgerald covers that I gush over and have been searching for in every bookstore I've stood in since my eyes beheld their art deco design.
Maybe this love of covers, stems from a love of bookshelves. Oh, and I just love when people colour coordinate. Like these:
That's definitely very Type-A of me. But it creates another work of art. Don't you agree?
These three books were recent finds at the Annual Friends of the Library Book Sale. They were quite eye-catching.
The set shelves in my room is quickly overflowing. That always tends to happen after our local library book sale. I need to de-clutter it a bit so the bowing shelves do not break under pressure. Oh, but there are so many things from around the world that friends have given me or I have been fortunate enough to acquire in person that only hold sentimental value to me and would probably be worthless to anyone else. It's difficult for me to see that shelf and not feel bombarded with good memories.
What treasures do you have on your shelves?
(I apologize for the grainy pictures. I definitely do not consider myself a photographer.)
I'm absolutely in love with these book covers and clearly aware that I may be accused of judging these books by their covers, but I'm completely prepared to face the consequences. Designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith and recently featured on Design*Sponge, they are precisely reflective of Fitzgerald's stories. I have been enamoured by her talent and have begun the pursuit to hunt down one of these glorious editions even though I own 3 copies of "This Side of Paradise" as it is. If you have the time, you must check out her site. Her Clothbound Series is adorable as well. My favourite would have to be The Alice and Wonderland cover...oooh or maybe Emma. I can't decide. What's yours?
I believe I shrieked when I found a roll of kelly green and cobalt blue vintage wrapping paper for only a dollar at an antique store several months ago. There are so many ways that I can use it. My first choice was to decoupage this picture frame. Oh and you can't tell from the picture, but the blue design is actually done in felt.
Our library has a designated section for donated books. There is an over abundance of those old Reader's Digest Books with the retro covers and five stories in each volume. I never feel inclined to read them because they are abridged, but I reveled at the idea of hacking the covers off and turning them into journals. I tend to go through paper rapidly when songwriting so this seemed to be a nice way to recycle a box of old computer paper found in my grandparent's basement and to make a donation to our public library on top of it.
The silver pillow on the right is fashioned from an old Tweed Jacket of my father's.
These two pillows are from oatmeal coloured cable sweaters that were no longer in use.
