I can't get this song out of my head!
I love it so much, and it's literally been running a loop in my mind for days. The video is beautiful too, so if you haven't yet, check it out!
- Tuesday, February 10, 2015
- 4 Comments
Yesterday I finally upgraded my software! Yeah, you know what that means. I took the plunge and subscribed to Adobe CC and got myself hooked up with all that jazz!
Thanks for following along! I'm thinking there may be some incentive soon to those of you who like to read and support me in this little venture.....maybe along the lines of a giveaway? Stay tuned, you might just get lucky!
I had put it off for so long because I thought it was something totally out of my price range (turns out, not so much), and because I thought maybe I could do it with much cheaper (as in free) software like Gimp and Inkscape. The longer I've tried to do this though, the more I felt like they were holding me back. Not that I don't think that there weren't ways of creating great products with that software, but as a beginner and someone looking to self teach with tutorials and what-not, there just wasn't as much information on what I wanted to learn. What information there was seemed very confusing and required a lot of digging and headache on my part.
Now, there are some pros and cons to taking this step. Pro, there are so, so, so many awesome how-tos and tutorials at my fingertips! I have already played around and created a fun little graphic :)
You like it?? I learned how to do it with this tutorial!
The cons are that now I am paying a monthly subscription for this new product vs. having a free one before, and although there are tutorials galore, I still have to figure out and re-learn a lot of the things that I was pretty used to doing in those other programs.
Over all though, I feel like this was the right step to take, and I am so excited at the possibilities this has opened up for me!
For a long time I wondered if I wouldn't have been better off if I had gone to college years ago, but honestly I probably wouldn't have gone into the design field then, and I would have wasted a LOT of money. Then there were times more recently when I wondered if I should go now? Maybe get an associates or certificate of some sort in graphic design, but I'm glad I didn't.
I know this is a field where it doesn't necessarily matter if you have that degree under your belt. And I am pretty confident in my ability to self teach the things I need to know. Sometimes I'm a pretty quick learner ;)
I think that joining the cool kids and taking this leap is going to help me out so much, and I am so excited to get to share the things I'm going to create with you all!
Thanks for following along! I'm thinking there may be some incentive soon to those of you who like to read and support me in this little venture.....maybe along the lines of a giveaway? Stay tuned, you might just get lucky!
Happy Friday everyone, I hope you have a great weekend!
- Friday, February 06, 2015
- 0 Comments
I have tiny houses on the brain lately! Wait. What is a tiny house, you ask?
Well, it's a house. And it's very tiny. Like, anywhere from 100-300 square feet of space, and usually on wheels because of laws preventing you from building a living structure that small on a foundation. (Which, don't even get me started on that...)
Basically, they are glorified campers, for all intents and purposes, but made to feel more live-able. There is usually nothing camper-like about the layouts, and they are generally made with alternate power options and composting toilets so they can be as on or off the grid as you want!
They fascinate and interest me to no end! I recommend watching the documentary Tiny on Netflix, if you have any interest, and there are tons of websites devoted to tiny houses online.
Now, I have been fascinated by these for a little while now, but just this week I came across this slide show by Country Living Magazine, and I fell in love! Tiny Heirloom Homes is a company that manufactures them in Portland, and they do some great work! Here, let me just show you some pictures:
It's like my dream home in minuscule! I love these kinds of details (white washed groove and tongue walls, exposed wood beams, farm house style) and I always thought that I would be willing to go smaller in space to be able to have the nice details I wanted.....but 200 square feet small??
It's crazy to think about what life would be like if you only had a house the size of a (small) living room. (It actually is just smaller than my small living room!) And I look around at my stuff and realize that I have very few things that I wouldn't be willing to part with, and that I probably could get rid of enough to downsize to that scale.
The idea is that for the price (and there are a lot of tiny homes at a lower price point than the Heirlooms) housing is more affordable. And it would give you options, and freedom, while still owning a home.
Think of your dream property. Maybe it's by the beach, or in the mountains. Somewhere you have always wanted to be. Would it be worth it to downsize your life and live more simply, if it meant you could live there? That is supposed to be one of the ideas behind it all.
I guess people move to apartments smaller than these, because their dream is to live in a big city, so it happens all the time. And the tiny house movement is growing by leaps and bounds it seems.
So, what do you think? Is this something you would ever be able to do? Why or why not? I would love to hear about it!
Thanks for stopping in!
Well, it's a house. And it's very tiny. Like, anywhere from 100-300 square feet of space, and usually on wheels because of laws preventing you from building a living structure that small on a foundation. (Which, don't even get me started on that...)
Basically, they are glorified campers, for all intents and purposes, but made to feel more live-able. There is usually nothing camper-like about the layouts, and they are generally made with alternate power options and composting toilets so they can be as on or off the grid as you want!
They fascinate and interest me to no end! I recommend watching the documentary Tiny on Netflix, if you have any interest, and there are tons of websites devoted to tiny houses online.
Now, I have been fascinated by these for a little while now, but just this week I came across this slide show by Country Living Magazine, and I fell in love! Tiny Heirloom Homes is a company that manufactures them in Portland, and they do some great work! Here, let me just show you some pictures:
It's crazy to think about what life would be like if you only had a house the size of a (small) living room. (It actually is just smaller than my small living room!) And I look around at my stuff and realize that I have very few things that I wouldn't be willing to part with, and that I probably could get rid of enough to downsize to that scale.
The idea is that for the price (and there are a lot of tiny homes at a lower price point than the Heirlooms) housing is more affordable. And it would give you options, and freedom, while still owning a home.
Think of your dream property. Maybe it's by the beach, or in the mountains. Somewhere you have always wanted to be. Would it be worth it to downsize your life and live more simply, if it meant you could live there? That is supposed to be one of the ideas behind it all.
I guess people move to apartments smaller than these, because their dream is to live in a big city, so it happens all the time. And the tiny house movement is growing by leaps and bounds it seems.
So, what do you think? Is this something you would ever be able to do? Why or why not? I would love to hear about it!
Thanks for stopping in!
- Thursday, February 05, 2015
- 0 Comments
It finally happened. I've been waiting my whole life to have the urge to plant a garden, and I woke up this week with just that, haha.
You see, a huge chunk of my family is very big into gardening! Flower gardens, vegetable gardens, fruit trees, you name it. I, however, was never very interested. Somehow though, I always figured that would change as I got older, and apparently I was right.
It started by just liking the idea of a garden. Not enough to plant one, but just enough to see the practicality of it, and liking the idea of being self sufficient in at least one small way. I've been thinking that for several years now, but my husband was always in charge of taking care of whatever little plants we did have, and I could have cared less!
This year though, I'm biting the bullet! We are actually in the process of selling our house in Oregon, and hoping to be able to buy a new home this spring. I think that living in a rental where we couldn't plant a vegetable garden, made me realize that I actually wanted to do it.
Obviously, we may still be in a rental by the time I should be planting, but I have decided that I will do a container garden if I have to.
Some of the things I'm looking forward to are onions, tomatoes, rhubarb, strawberries, and lettuce! We eat most of these things a lot, and it would be so awesome to be able to walk out into my own yard and pick the things I want to eat! And, like I said, while I never gardened, I know plenty of people who did. Usually they were willing to give me fresh produce in the summer, and you just cannot beat the taste of a garden fresh tomato!
I also know that realistically, I probably won't get that green thumb over night. I am a terrible plant killer, but I have a lot of family to go to for my questions, and then there's the always awesome Pinterest! You can see my gardening board here.
And here are a few of my favorite links and photos that I'm using for inspiration so far!
You see, a huge chunk of my family is very big into gardening! Flower gardens, vegetable gardens, fruit trees, you name it. I, however, was never very interested. Somehow though, I always figured that would change as I got older, and apparently I was right.
It started by just liking the idea of a garden. Not enough to plant one, but just enough to see the practicality of it, and liking the idea of being self sufficient in at least one small way. I've been thinking that for several years now, but my husband was always in charge of taking care of whatever little plants we did have, and I could have cared less!
This year though, I'm biting the bullet! We are actually in the process of selling our house in Oregon, and hoping to be able to buy a new home this spring. I think that living in a rental where we couldn't plant a vegetable garden, made me realize that I actually wanted to do it.
Obviously, we may still be in a rental by the time I should be planting, but I have decided that I will do a container garden if I have to.
Some of the things I'm looking forward to are onions, tomatoes, rhubarb, strawberries, and lettuce! We eat most of these things a lot, and it would be so awesome to be able to walk out into my own yard and pick the things I want to eat! And, like I said, while I never gardened, I know plenty of people who did. Usually they were willing to give me fresh produce in the summer, and you just cannot beat the taste of a garden fresh tomato!
I also know that realistically, I probably won't get that green thumb over night. I am a terrible plant killer, but I have a lot of family to go to for my questions, and then there's the always awesome Pinterest! You can see my gardening board here.
And here are a few of my favorite links and photos that I'm using for inspiration so far!
1. This reference chart has some great info for when to plant most of the things I want! /2. Dane and I both love lemons, and I love the idea of a potted tree that I can bring indoors during the colder months. /3. Pretty paths and raised beds are a must! /4. A super cute (and functional) potting station? Yes please! This page has tons of them! /5. (Not pictured) Here's a great video on growing a garden in small spaces.
What about you? Are you a green thumb wielding machine, or a soon to be garden newbie like myself? OR do fruits and veggies only come from the grocery store, and not from the ground, in your opinion? ;)
Let me know, I'd love to hear about it!
Now, I'm off to go work on another project that I will (hopefully) be sharing here soon. Happy hump day everyone!
- Wednesday, January 28, 2015
- 2 Comments
