2011 Resolutions.

By now I hope that most people haven't abandoned their New Year's Resolutions. After all, it's only the 26th. Maybe most of you have accomplished what you've set out to do because you are overachievers or maybe you never even made a resolution to begin with. But because I run on JST (Jana Standard Time), I'm just creating mine now and I decided that I would list my goals for this year in a blog post in hopes that someone may hold me accountable if they read this.

My friend, Lisa posted her resolution blog awhile ago. I thought it was a great idea. You can read her's here. It's pretty inspiring.

1. Have a more consistent quiet time.
2. Blog 30 times more than last year. So, I'm aiming for 66 posts. After watching "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog", I feel that I need more of a web presence and honestly want to meet more people through the internet. Plus,it reminded me that I really need to break out into song next time I'm having a dilemma.
3. Handwrite more notes to people in my life. Not e-mails. Real notes. Let them know I appreciate them.
4. Send "An Ode to the Sundance Kid" to Robert Redford with a note, of course.
5. Mosaic. In other words, use all the mosaic supplies that I have been storing up over the years.
6. Sew my "Saga" pillows. Katie Lindberg, I'm counting on you.
7. Finish re-upholstering the chair that I've been working on for a year.
8. Take guitar lessons.
9. Upload a music video to YouTube. I really need to figure out what song to start with first. It's such a daunting task.
10. Play out at 3 open mics. Baby steps.
11. More Books, Less TV.
12. Talk Less, Listen More.
13. Co-write a song.
14. Bake cookies. chocolate chip. 
15. Get a head start on memorizing my lines for "Into the Woods".
16. Arrive to events on time. I'm habitually tardy. This seriously needs to change.
17. Refrain from Splurging. So long, Amazon & iTunes!

The World of Disney From the Eyes of Annie Leibovitz

Aren't these great? All shot by the legendary Annie Leibovitz.  I know they've been around for a while, but they're too magical to not post. What's your favourite?

Simply Being Inspired.

These have nothing in common other than the fact that they inspire me. Not my own creations, but their colour and aesthetic drew my attention and continues to influence me everytime I see them in my pictures folder. Why do I love these?

Silhouettes. I dig them. I never use the word dig. I promise that will never happen again.

Chartreuse. It's my favourite.

More silhouettes. Plus they're coasters...What's there not to love?

Chartreuse again, but this time there is a checkered floor.

I only hope the tin is vintage and not the cookies.

My reasons for loving this image is two-fold. One, the calligraphy/font choice and stamp are so stunning. The other reason being that it is a handwritten letter. Love those! 

Houndstooth!

I've always liked the little Penguin Books logo. I should start collecting these.

  I just read Conan Doyle's The Adventure of the Six Napoleons . Now I kind of want one of these.

I just wish I was sitting here. That's all.

Ice Box Cards Logo

It's finally here. This is the logo to my dad's card company-Ice Box Cards. Pretty nifty, isn't it? He provided the illustration and I recreated it in Adobe Illustrator. It's only crisper now. Hopefully, it doesn't take away from the hand drawn aspect that I love in all of my dad's drawings. There will be more to share soon!

Reproducing Passports...

A good friend of mine asked me to create a postcard for her to send to family and friends to remind them to keep her in their prayers. The card was also designed with the dual purpose to make her contact information readily available. I don't know why I chose to replicate the passport...maybe I had been watching ALIAS or The Bourne Trilogy.  All I know is that it was one of my first concepts and it sounded fun. The edge of the white box was inspired by a piece of mail that my cousin, Leah sent to me from Kenya, which I now use as a bookmark in Isak Dinesen's Out of Africa (which reminds me: I need to write about post dedicated to my obsession with all things pertaining to Out of Africa). Okay, back to the card... I whipped up the South Africa stamp after hours of searching for a photoshop brush that matched the vision in my head. I guess sometimes it's just easier to make it yourself. I made sure to erase a portion of the stamp because there wasn't a single clear stamp in my passport. There you have it. Jess' Passport Postcard. What do you think?

Ladies & Gentlemen...

My dear friend, Mimi and I were in a musical together this past season. There was an old fashion microphone used in several scenes. We jumped at the opportunity to have a little photo session. Oh, to be a lounge singer in the 1950's. Isn't that the dream?

Happy Birthday, James!

At the request of my little bro, I attempted to recreate a picture that he found in a youtube video. It plays during an opera that he frequently listens to. I know, I was shocked to learn that James listened to classical music as well. It depicts the story of Der Erlkonig which apparently is near and dear to his heart. From what I could tell, the original was done in some sort of charcoal. I opted to use a black conte and was pleased with the results. I can see now that I needed to keep the horse lighter...especially the neck, but the gift was well received. I pinned the drawing to a lamp shade of his and went to bed. When he finally came home, he barged into my room saying he liked it better than the original. Ultimate success.