Yesterday I got most of my office/design area organized... It will be nice to finally get back to sewing, making, painting etc.  Earlier this morning I decided to go through my old photos from way back when I sewed clothing and made accessories [2002-2004] that I then at the time sold on my website roxymarj.com - school started and everything was put on hiatus. Thankfully! I couldn't help but laugh at all the things I made.  Many of which I would never wear or adorn myself in...HOWEVER, it is really good to have as much documentation of one's work I believe.  We always want to be better than our last design...that is what my teachers at Parsons would say to us over and over again. And it is true.  2011 has definitely been a good year for me so far.  I have so many goals and dreams that I want to attain as quickly as possible [instant gratification syndrome] I bet many of my dreams are probably the same or very similar to any of you guys reading this.   I have spent a good amount of time wondering the best way to go about doing them...and the only thing I can come up with is Nike's famous slogan: JUST DO IT! --- Right?!  How funny if their slogan was: Try and do it if you can, or  Try and make time for it! lol Yeah right! Nope - it is JUST DO IT!  I ironically got the bug? to start a mini clothing line...ironic because that is what I went to school for --- but halfway through school I realized that passion A was in illustration...Fashion Design was passion B.  Anyways, tables have not turned...just merged...and I find myself saying these last couple weeks: JUST DO IT! 

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Here are some of my "designs" that I made before I started school... it is hard to pinpoint the style I was going for... It looks like I was making clothes for the crafty country raver or something.

But first, my humble little sewing area.... teeny tiny. :)

2 weekends ago I was home all by myself.  Jesse went to Texas for an art manufacturing tradeshow.   I had a huuuuge list of things that I wanted to get done before he got back home.  The main chore being to finally get our place cleaned and organized!  I have noticed that when the husband is at home with me, it takes me a lot longer to get anything done...I think it is because I can get easily distracted and then forget entirely what I was just working on!? Does this ever happen to you guys? Please say yes so I don't feel like a total independent ADD child! : /  Anyways... any moments I have to myself I try and utilize as much as possible.  After the cleaning & organizing was done I quickly got started on home project # 1, which is our dining room.  When I moved into my own place last spring, my mother helped me purchase a cute little vintage dining table and chair set.  It was turquoise - a cute color, but not my favorite color...I had plans to gold leaf the pieces but now that I just got married....there is Jesse's opinion that I have to take into consideration, and he wasn't really feeling that.   So the next favorite color of mine...a dark charcoal gray or light black - whatever you choose to call it.  I decided to donate the two chairs and I replaced them with some fantastic mid-century ones.  :) I think the combination together looks great and more grown up.  Plus, the shadows that the sun produces on the table from our succulents is so artistic and graphic, it looks like a work of art all on its own.

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After that was complete I then started to work on my china nook.  I want the bottom shelf to be filled solely with pictures of family and friends, so I started spray painting some of the frames I have - gold.... artsy side note: when I layed them on our newly painted table, I loved the light that was hitting them at the moment and thought about how neat it would be to use frames like this as displays for jewelry if one owned a boutique.

Like so .....

Wouldn't those be lovely showpieces - under the right lighting of course.
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Within home project #1: Dining room - the next quest is to find a rug.  Kilim rugs are among my favorites.  Anything handwoven adds such an heirloom quality which then also brings warmth to any space.  I have been having a heck of a time trying to find something within our budget that we both are totally in love with. Other reasons why Kilim rugs speak to me so much is because of the simple yet humble graphic designs throughout.  Which is also what you will find in Native American crafts, Latin America crafts etc. I find so much inspiration in those culture's arts and crafts, that it is easy to see where I get designs for my own art.
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The colors in our dining room are charcoal gray, gold, off white/white and then little pops of eames red, muted blues and mustards and teeny bits of silver. Here is a favorite kilim rug that I found on etsy through pasharugs that would fit so well within that color scheme- the plaid pillow is from sukanart, which I can't stop drooling over and the gold suzani pillow is from jayson home and garden.  I want to make some pillows for the chairs and am thinking that I will have to actually paint them myself...since again >>> budget. :[) I think trying to mimic this plaid on a heavy distressed canvas on one side and then the gold suzani pillow on the other will be nice so I can have two different styles that can accommodate all four seasons.

I was thinking about how to mimic the suzani pillow and I realized that I haven't done my favorite type of quilting in YEARS! That favorite style of mine is the Hawaiian style! lol I feel so funny saying that...but it is the truth!  My ex-husband's mother introduced me to it through some books years back in Japan and gave me one of hers to work from. I love American quilting as well, but there is a different kind of quality that the Hawaiian style offers. Google image it my friends. :)

Black crows and flowers will be the other decorative pieces in our dining rooms.  I am currently looking for different types of crow items and I REAAAALLY feel in love with this vintage target practice crow poster.  Definitely not for shooting animals of any kind but the graphic quality of that crow is fantastic. <- found on ebay.  The two portraits of the black flowers were found at meggyleves.

And this AMAAAAAAAAZING Hawaiin quilt was found at the cute Hawaiin blog: HappaHale.

Last night I was watching a program on tv which was focused mainly on doing your genealogy.  One of the families that was interviewed was talking about their Scottish heritage, the clan that they were from and their plaid [tartan] that represented their family.  I learned back in school that each Scottish clan had their own plaid and thought it interesting...but it didn't really hit me till last night. Possibly because now that I have my own place, and am starting to make a home of my own...I really want something that represents me and my future "clan".  This also got me so excited to start a family of my own someday, create my own plaid or print and dress my family & pets in my design head to toe! This actually reminds me of the time my mom got some discount cut and sew knit at Joannes when I was in 5th grade. Printed all across the fabric IN PASTEL was "french fries" - she made matching leggings and a long sleeve top for my younger sister [in kindergarten at the time] and me to wear. We LOVED the new outfit and the fact that we were twins.  Then one day my ultimate crush made fun of me when I wore it to school...yep. sadly, that outfit no longer stepped outside. 

Anyways, back to Scotland and their fantastic tradition > PLAID  so with fall in session and winter just around the corner, plaid is the go to print for this season. Hope this post zaps some inspiration into your cup of cocoa! :)

Just in case you don't know where Scotland is exactly...a map:

The Highlands: 

A castle:

 Some plaids & crests

Plaid for the home. This would definitely be a neat way to showcase one's clan. Plaid walls would be awesome...but that would only work if I had 10 rooms in my home...so for those who don't have a lot of space and wouldn't want to have a plaid wall all year long, or would just want to switch things up...why not buy 4 sheets of particle board, hinge them together and cover with plaid. But don't stop there...hang some pictures on there , black silhouettes of family member would be neat.