Mr Rob Ryan, keep doing what you're doing love

Until I came across the work of Rob Ryan I had a firm stance on my "anti-exacto/utility-knife" future .. As you can see, his work is beautiful and delicate. Rob Ryan creates tiles and paper art. One of the images here is currently what I'm eyeing for my first tattoo.

He collaborated with Urban Outfitters with one of their recent Lomography cameras, has designed several book covers, and has countless amazing works in paper-cut design, screen printing, and illustrations. His work is optimistic, fantastical, and oh-so inspiring. Mr Rob Ryan, keep doing what you're doing love.

Loving

I'm currently feeling happy, creative, optimistic, studious. I've been wanting a moleskin sketchpad for a while now but haven't purchased one since the small notebook I have now isn't full. This past weekend I've come across varying images and crafts that all have reignited my passion for Interior Design -for creating anything, really.

Rob Ryan is wonderous and he's my biggest inspiration at the moment. I've got a hankering to create something with my hands. Something. Anything! ALSO, PANTONE recently named their color of the year: Turquoise. Rock it out in 2010 Turquoise! (you've always been one of my favorites)

Loving: sketches, moleskins, rob ryan, design, geometric shapes, crafts, turquoise

Blog Etiquette

It has come to my attention that I never properly introduced myself, or this blog. So without further ado, and because I'm in no mood to unpack, let me introduce myself and Fresh Flowers & Plans:

My name is Angie and I'm a 22-year old recent grad. I just earned my BA in Interior Design.

I'm about to attempt my second Bachelor's degree and will be pursuing Art History.

There are about 5 ideal plans to choose from at the end of my 2nd degree:

-Grad School with focusing on Historic Preservation or Urban Design (staying in the ID realm)

-Grad School with focusing on whatever can help me become an Art History professor

-Teach Art History in high school while saving money for Grad School (my high school has always offered Art History as an AP Elective so I know it's not impossible)

-Grad School with focusing on whatever can help my become an Interior Design professor

-Teach both at collegiate level -many of my professors were subject multitaskers

I have one of the best memories out of anyone I know and I really am proud of that.

I love when people are nice to waiters/waitresses

I love popping my knuckles

I have a slight obsession with scents. I love to smell anything and everything (no matter how gross/intense)

I LOVE when guys smell amazing. It makes my heart melt - brownie points when their scent is all laundry detergent

I Don't love when people break plans -especially at the last minute

I Don't love unpacking. Packing is so-so, but unpacking? I avoid it like that plague

I really don't like when people don't use manners

I can't stand country music.. and really don't like when anyone thinks I'll relate to a country song. No thanks, I don't buy it. Okay scratch some of that, I'm okay with very early 90s country music. And that's purely nostalgic and no where near my possession.

AND this blog of mine, Fresh Flowers & Plans, is just a place where my thoughts and plans and venting cannot be realized through facebook or twitter. I'll try my best to make this entertaining and relevant. I'm hoping I get better at this blogging business with time -I've noticed I write way too much

Girly Movie Night

Tonight is Thursday and despite telling myself and this blog that I wouldn't let the "matters jumping in my head" escape, I did. And i was right, expressing the truth and letting those "jumping matters" out in the open was a lot worse. I told the person concerned in the matter exactly how I felt and everything just got messier. With that episode aside, I just had to get out. So i contacted a friend of mine and we arranged to have dinner. He and I had pretty much been playing "tag" since last spring.. BUT FINALLY: we hung out!

It wasn't as bad as thought it would be -I always imagine worst case scenarios. I thought it would be awkward silences and awkward questions; it wasn't. I had fun and made him laugh -which is always what I aim to do with the man folk. He had THE largest chicken friend steak I've ever seen in my life (bigger than my face) and I had a veggie burger (we've gone over this: I'm no vegetarian, but I do love most veggie alternatives).

SO. Seeing as how my day (in my head) started out with amazing potential but ended up badly, then turned out to be okay.. I have taken it upon myself to keep the optimism going. Thus, indulging myself in a Girly Movie Night. In my bedroom tonight we have:

The Wackness definitely exceeded my expectations. With all the trailers focusing on graffiti and New York circa early 90's I had no idea what story the movie had. The story is actually really good and Mary-Kate's role wasn't as big as I expected (a plus). Sir Ben Kingsley and Josh Peck were both amazing. This movie is amazing -and funny!

Amelie. What is there to say about Amelie that hasn't been said already? Amelie is one the greatest, sweetest movies I've ever seen. This is one of the few movies that exceeded everyone's buzz. I love Amelie and her wandering mind, it's a bit relatable.

Tonight is Thursday and I'm really hoping for a fun, happy weekend. Over & out.

Currently

The world is feeling a tad too small. There are a few matters jumping around in my head that I can't get past, so maybe that's what is contributing to how I'm feeling -and have been feeling. Everything is starting to mesh and it's making me uneasy. What is usually confined to one aspect of my day, is now running into others, and both worlds are getting themselves involved. I'm feeling anxious and irritated.

In a non-surprising way I'm starting to shut down and think dramatic thoughts. I want to quit my current seasonal job, move out of my apartment, and run.. just run until I can't think. I feel like I can't breath. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what's been causing all of this -that's a lie. I do know what's been causing this. AND, I do know that bringing it up will only open a can of worms. So I'd rather keep my mouth shut, my head hurting, my dramatic thoughts running, and my bad moods on high. No, I don't think that's healthy and I don't think it's the best situation.. but trust, it would get a whole lot worse.

So I guess, right now all I have is venting and music. Small worlds sound like:

Student Life: Take 2

It took me about 4 years and a very uninspiring "farewell" speech from my internship to realize that maybe Interior Design wasn't for me. As mentioned earlier, I've decided to get a second degree in Art History. I'm really excited about the semesters to come.. but for now, for Spring 2010 we have:

Monday/Wednesday

-English 3304, Professional Writing, 11am-12:20pm

-English 3311, Advanced Writing: How I Write & Why, 12:30-1:50

-English 3315, Intro to Creative Writing, 2-3:20pm

Tuesday/Thursday

-Art History 3301, History to Modern Art, 9:30-10:50am

I'm unofficially a Writing minor at the time; I'll make it official as soon as I speak with my advisor. I would've liked having more Art History classes in my schedule but there weren't many classes available when I registered. Because I had to make my schedule via late registration, I had scraps to choose from. I had my eyes set on a Matisse & Picasso art history class but (as expected) the course was filled. Oh well, I'm looking forward to many more interesting "semester rarities"

I see a lot of writing in my near future. Can't wait.

In 2010, we have..

a new set of resolutions -featuring some oldies- and one very special secret resolution. 2009 helped me grow but as I stated earlier, there were lessons to be learned. So for 2010 I have literally started over. I graduated in December with my first Bachelor's degree in Interior Design and a while back (thank you Work Nazi & rude awakening internship) I realized that I wasn't eager to be an Interior Designer -hardly at all.

So in November there was heartbreak (the worst one yet, first guy in 7 years I completely opened up to), facing the fact that if I pursue I.D my realistic option was moving back home and working where I interned (where pay was okay -for the valley- but there were zero benefits and the job was basically "assistant") and dealing with all things "end of the semester" -all nighters, anxiety due to no sleep, no money, kinkos frequent customer, stress... Somehow, in between of all that horrible, really horrible mess I found inspiration. This all came to light in a discussion with one of my best friends about post-grad plans, I told him I pretty much had nothing when he mentioned the idea of getting a second degree. He mentioned that both his degrees ideally help his mega plan, but if for any reason he can't make that plan happen, each degree offered a career. I was inspired -in love with the idea- and immediately thought of Art History. Art History is the only thing that kept my semesters interesting, and it's something I've always been very well in. I get Art History, i love it. IF i pursue Interior Design I know I want to work with either Historic preservation or urban design. Art History doesn't necessarily relate to Interior Design, but it definitely helps -especially with Historic Preservation. Toward the end of the month I reapplied to school and got in, HELLO Degree #2.

I am now an Art History major (with intentions to teach -preferably at college level but baby steps, everyone) and a Writing minor. I'm very excited. The thought of writing papers and analyzing and searching for explanations really just drives me wild! -what can I say, I'm a rebel without a cause! So long FCS, adios all nighters, EFF YOU utility knives.. goodbye to it all! If I've made all my calculations correctly, I should get this degree by Summer 2011. This second degree really won't take long because I just graduated with an Art & Design minor; I earned all credits through Advanced Art History classes =)

BUT. This isn't just about the promise 2010 holds, its about the resolutions... and here is what I hope to successfully complete by the time the year is over:

-Read one book per month.. NO MATTER WHAT! last year I only lasted 3 months but this year will be different. I'm going to make sure to pull through on this wonderful, happiness-inducing resolution! So far I've already completed a book so I might get an early start on February!

-Write in my journal more! Even when I bought my journal, my intention was never to make it a daily log.. my intention was to write whenever I felt inspired.. or whenever I knew exactly what I needed to express. It's a funny writing style my journal has developed, but I'm really down with it. I write it all down, I even wrote a tiny introduction for my journal. I wrote "When I was 12 years old I promised myself that one day I would write it all down: all the good times, bad times, terrible-turned classic times. This book; journal; memoir, has been a long time in the making. All -I told myself- that I needed was the right journal.. there's no fun in typing my heart out. SO with the best journal I could afford, here goes... " I'm really proud of what I have so far and no one in the world has read it. Doubt anyone ever will.. I'm really possessive with it. I hardly let people 100% into my life.. so you can imagine how I'd feel about anyone reading my vulnerable, unthreatened thoughts.

-Write in this blog more.. I thought about starting a blog for a really long time before doing it, and in November I just did it one very late night/early morning. Because of school I really had very little time to make entries... After Thanksgiving I literally got about 2-3hrs of sleep per night (when I was lucky). I had many ideas for my blog, I just didn't have the time. So, yes. This is a resolution I really hope to come through with. I do get ideas often about what to write about and what images to use and what witty comment I can include, I just don't do it. I hope to develop my blog more and once I do that, I will finally let people know about this.

-Drink less soda! I plan on doing this -and have already been failing- by ordering water at restaurants. and along with cutting soda, I also plan on NOT "up sizing" my fast food orders. I can't quit the bad junk cold turkey, so I'm taking baby steps. This resolution isn't my biggest priority, but I do hope to be successful with it!

and for my secret resolution: to keep one foot on the ground and hold steady. I'm a very disillusioned girl and give everyone the benefit of the doubt. This past year I broke my own self-promises and well established rules because I was swept off my feet. Yes, i saw red flags everywhere but I just really thought that this was MY YEAR to be in a relationship. I guess I wanted to be in a relationship so badly that I turned a blind-eye to too many things. Because I hadn't had a boyfriend in about 2 1/2 years I gave it all that I had, more than everything to be honest. I made a real chump of myself and after the heartbreak fizzled away I was left disappointed in myself. I broke all my own rules JUST to say that I had a sweetheart. For 7 years I did an excellent job at keeping every prospect at bay and always keeping one foot out the door. Thanks to my ex, all pride was gone. Because I gave him everything, I was honestly left with nothing.

My plan of attack isn't to rebuild that wall. I don't know what it is to be precise.. I just know to definitely listen to my intuition. My rules are back on, but the games aren't. I'm not in the mood to trust new faces, and I don't want to deal with the ordeal of meeting new people right now. Because he left me with nothing, this fresh start doesn't even feel like it's started yet. I've just got to remember, always remember, BEWARE THE CHARMERS (Rule #1). I've always got to keep my feet on the ground and hold steady.. Not to let disillusions get the best of me. Secret Resolution, I adore you and have faith in you.

So how will they all turn out? I can't wait to find out!