6.30.2012

On Learning & Being in my Twenties

I've been thinking a lot lately about growing up & this post is sort of a response to both Amy & Elizabeth's posts on being in a 20's funk. Blogging affords us the ability to find like minded people going through the same things as we are.  I am so glad I have the opportunity because I would have thought I was the only one.  Knowing you aren't alone is one of the greatest things about humanity.  And even though we try to define ourselves as how we are different from our peers, it is how we are a like that makes us human.

First off let me say that I have a bunch of school loan debt hanging over my head.  Second off, I am attempting to launch into a self-employment adventure before the end of the summer.  Finally, I feel as if I take the leap into self employment the delicate thread holding on to my loan debt will suddenly snap leaving me trapped.

I have been thinking about this 20's funk & the fact that while I feel my options are completely endless when it come to anything, I feel the gentle tug of the ball & chain loan debt on my ankle when ever I even let one thought of self-employment slip.  I have never been one to give up on dreams.  While I may not run towards the finish line, I do inch along.  The best example of this is when I moved out of my parents' house immediately after graduation.  I worked hard the semester before to find a job, I found one, it sucked.  I worked hard to find another one, I found one, it was awesome.  But now I've done all I can in this job & another opportunity has presented itself: drop everything, move north, make pottery.  There is an opening for my dream.

I've also been steadily gaining momentum in sales & learning a whole lot about this whole thing over the past year.  But mainly making strides in it in the past 3 months which is exciting & also terrifying.  But I wanted to share with you some things I am learning in my 20's

Say yes to things you have no idea how to do //  With in limits, this is the best thing I've done for myself in ages.  Whether it was saying yes to playing the guitar in bi-weekly kitchen band meetings or saying yes to a design element that I had no clue how to install, I've learned so much.  It is when we push these boundaries that we learn more about ourselves, what we can stand, & what we can do.

Don't apologize for leaving your job for a better one // In an economy where the lucky ones have jobs they love & the extremely lucky have jobs that pay the bills, sometimes we think we have to be miserable in order to be successful.  I am here to propose to you it isn't true.  If you hate your job, start looking to find a new one.  Apply to 3 jobs a day if you have to & don't apologize for leaving a crappy one for a better one.  Even if it's only slightly better.  A friend of mine suggested a statistic that he may have made up: the average college grad now a days will have at least 10 jobs before he has a career.  Which to me makes sense.  You aren't required to work a job you hate, hell, you aren't even required to work a job if you can make it on your own.  I am horrible at giving 2 weeks notice.  I hate leaving & thinking about who will be there after me and if they will be as good as me.  But if you have a better offer don't apologize for advancing.  Chances are McDonald's won't even know you've existed this time next year.
Pictures shot with Hipstamatic D-Series disposable camera app.  See how to use it this Summer here!

Blogging is a way to discover & remember who you are // Posting regularly about things that matter to you will help you incredibly in a year's time.  Personally I know that I can make it through a lot of things because I've been able to remember making it through things before.  You'll also learn how you became you & what sets you apart from the you that you used to be.  It's like you're giving yourself advice to come back on in the future.  You may not remember who you are but your blog sure does.

No one ever remembers the nights they got enough sleep // Go on adventures, live life, you're in your twenties for pete's sake! Just young enough to get away with it & just old enough to learn responsibility.  Which you may learn the hard way.  Before you do have kids or settle down be sure to live life.  You only get 10 years to be in your 20's.  Even if their half gone, the best day to start is right now.

Save your money, but spend all you can (on important things) // Don't buy the newest clothes or the coolest things no matter how bad you want them.  I should have done that with both my macbook & my iPhone.  I don't need these expensive things, though my iPhone does help a lot with etsy & sales! What I'm saying is to be responsible with your money but do things you shouldn't do.  That's the only way you learn.  I've spent way too much on things I didn't need & slowly learned to save more.  It is by saving that I can afford to spend money, if that makes sense.  I learned from my Granddaddy that money is meant to be spent, whether right then or down the line.

There is never a hole in water, things will work themselves out // This is something my room mate Katie told me when a lot of things in my life were up in the air.  When there is a void some how it will be filled, things will always work out.  It is in the incomplete that we seek to be whole, so you will always find what you are missing.  This also goes along with a philosophy of mine developed between episodes of LOST & episodes of Dr. Who: You will always make the right decision.  This is hard to explain, but pretty much every decision (major ones, that is) you make you will always choose the right one.  When faced with two paths, you will always choose the one you're supposed to.  This comes from partially being responsible & weighing the odds and partially from deciding to take a leap.  Maybe it comes from me being incredibly sound in every decision I make but I really think if you are a self reflective person you'll notice patterns with in your own life.  For me I notice that I make big changes every so often & once they resolve I make a new change.  I think it's a way of challenging myself.

With all this said, I can't wait for & am utterly terrified of the second half of my twenties.  I threw that last one in there because I need to remember to go confidently in the direction of my dreams.  Things will always find a way to work out.

What are you learning in your life right now?  What would you want the older you to remember about the younger you?






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6.29.2012

Fan Friday #64 // Boost Your Blog Edition

Sometimes I feel like I can never find anything super dooper awesome & oh so totally cool to share with you on Fridays.  In the past, I've featured things that relate to each other but recently I've been featuring just a little hodge podge of things from around the web.  But this Friday I am oh-so-stoked to share with you some really cool BYB (Boost Your Blog) stuff I've found around the web lately.

There are so many resources to make your blog super awesome with out a designer & since I like everyone to learn I thought I'd share with you some Blog Boosting specific posts:

Kira from Her New Leaf shows you how to make Fan Only Content for your Facebook followers.  I just got back on Facebook after pledging to delete it because I knew I should have one for my business.  This is a tip I can't wait to try out.  (If you'd like to follow Five Sixteenths blog & shop on facebook...click here!)

I love this post called Blogging Wisdom & A Fresh Start on Making Nice in the Midwest.  I love the part about advising to Stop Planning & Start Doing.  Even though I am an advocate of the blog planner I also advocate getting your nose out of your calendar & doing things!  The more you do, the more you'll have to blog about!  There is a ton of advice to try out & I love when bloggers share their experience.  It's important to me when bloggers share their journeys and show me that they are human.  After all, it's your blog...do what ever you want with it!

If you're looking for a cool tutorial to spruce up your blog, try this doily tutorial from Natalie Jost at Olive Manna.  I don't know how she figured this out but I am stunned!

Arvee at Flutter happy shared this really cool tutorial about making a colored search bar on your blog! I totally did it (as you can see there in the side bar).  The only thing I did different for blogger is pasted the CSS listed in the post under the ADVANCED setting of the TEMPLATE DESIGNER.  The instructions didn't work for me.  But I totally love it! Just change the CSS where it says background:#FDF2F0; pThe # is the hex value of a color...so find a color you love & paste it's hex value there.  I love using Colour Lovers for this. 


Links Loved

++In case you missed it, yesterday Jen from Motu Viget shared this totally awesome Map DIY with us.  I couldn't believe how cool it was! Who knew? She also posted on her own blog earlier this week about Tokyo Disneyland....Awesome! I hope I get to meet this fab chick when she heads back the US.  We'll be closer when I move up north!++

++Amber from Sooner Surrender not only shared some lovely bedroom inspiration (here, here, here, & a few others!) but she's also inspired me with this post on appreciating the things, people, & opportunities in her life.++

++Kristin redesigned her blog (I may have mentioned this last week) & I love it.  She's one cool chick. Another girl on my list of awesome bloggers to meet!++

++This advice on whether you should finish a degree you don't like & if you should go another path after graduation.  It focuses on finding a path into the Fine Arts.  I want to know if anyone has started a business with school loan debt? I am looking into going further with my business before the end of the summer but I don't want to lose everything!++

Hope you've enjoyed your week.  This weekend I am heading down to hang out with my Gramma & my aunt at the lake.  So hopefully I'll be lounging dock side on a floaty getting tan!  Happy weekend!






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6.28.2012

Feature Sponsor Guest Post - Satellite Wall Art Tutorial

Oh my gosh you guys.  Jen from Motu Viget is so cool.....wanna know why? She has an awesome DIY for you all today.  This is super cool & I can't wait to try it out!  I can't believe how cool this is, check it out:

Konnichiwa! My name is Jen and I blog over on Motu Viget. I write about my adventures living in Japan as well as other important things like life goals and dessert. I'd love it if you popped over to say hi!


I'm really honored to be able to write a guest blog for Five Sixteenths. Moe and I may be a world apart at the moment but I know we're both in for big changes this summer. She's anticipating a move to be with her sweetie, Zach, while I'm preparing to move back to the U.S. after three long years abroad. Living in Japan has really been amazing and I know it will forever be a part of my life. Some places just stick with you, like your home town, first apartment or (in my case) a little city called Aizuwakamatsu. In honor of those special places we all have, I'd like to show you an easy wall art DIY to help you keep them close wherever you are.


First, you'll need to choose which places you'd like to feature in your art. I chose my neighborhood in Japan, the apartment my husband and I lived in during our first year of marriage and my childhood home in Michigan. Using Google Earth, which is free to install, do a search to bring up the satellite image of that area. Play around with  the zoom and placement to find a shot you like. You'll notice that streets and other locations will be marked on the map at first. Disable these labels by unchecking all the boxes at the bottom of the sidebar.
Now, disable the sidebar itself by clicking "View" and unchecking sidebar. Since we're using the free version of Google Earth, we will need to take a screen shot of the satellite image. Be sure your cursor is at the top or bottom of the screen so it doesn't appear in your image! Take a screen shot and save the image. Repeat this process for however many places you'd like.


Google Earth is pretty awesome, but the image quality isn't always so great. We'll need to use some photo editing software to fix up our screenshots. (I use GIMP and love it. It's free! Learn more and download it here.) Crop your image to remove the menu bar, of course. My satellite images were a bit washed out, so I adjusted the levels and increased the contrast. I also added a vignette layer and played around with the curves until I found an effect I liked. Satellite images look really cool with a vintage or antique photography filter. Play around with them until you find something you're happy with.

If you have some photo paper on hand, print away! I sent my husband out to the convenience store to print out a few sets. (What a nice guy.) I wanted a mat around the photos, so I sized them to 3.5x5 to fit in my 5x7 frames. Feel free to make yours as large as your resolution will allow. Here are my final, printed images:
I love seeing the contrast in the different places I've lived. The differences in population density are very apparent! I hung my set of three photographs in our kitchen and I definitely plan on bringing them with us to the U.S. Perhaps I'll keep adding to the set for every place we call home!


A Little Disclaimer: All satellite images © 2011 Google. And remember, you can use Google Earth imagery for personal use, but cannot sell it to others. View that policy here.

See guys! Isn't this the coolest! Honestly I can't wait to try this out when I move. If you'd like to give a huge awesome compliment to Miss Jen, head on over to her blog, connect with her on twitter, or say hi on Facebook.

Check out more from past Feature Sponsors & Guest Posters here. If you're interested in being a Feature Sponsor for the month of August, please head on over to the Sponsor Page, then shoot me an email. If you're interested in being a part of Five Sixteenths through a guest post, peep the guidelines here & the contact me, I'd love to work with you!







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6.27.2012

Summer Bucket List

I am not really big on coming up with things I'd like to do when it comes to seasons, etc.  A while ago I posted about my favorite things to do in the fall but since this Summer is the last summer I'll be around VA for good, I thought I needed a Summer Bucket List of sorts.  I thought about including a great big challenge & daring myself to ride all the roller coasters at Busch Gardens.....but I would not do it!

Here are somethings I've been working on to make this last month in VA awesome & the end of the summer up north super cool:



- Take loads on instax pictures & make another album
- Wreck a disposable camera & take pictures with it
- Spend 4th of July with the family at the lake
- Use my amusement park pass at least 8 times
- Have a picnic
- Have my dad do a photo shoot with my sister & I
- Spend time with my Grandma
- Visit my Grandaddy's grave more
- Make memories on Lake Michigan
- Go antiquing with Zach
- Get off my phone more
- Have a BBQ before we move out of our town house
- Go to the beach
- Soak up as much sun as possible while sitting on a float in the pool or off the dock.
- Drink RC cola & sweet tea
- Lay in the grass
- Experience the summer & not just photograph it
- Drive solo (maybe) up north to meet Zach

I am excited to embark on this moving adventure.  There are a lot of emotions rolling around in my head & my heart about this adventure.  But the more I think about it, the more excited I get.  I've been thinking about making this journey myself.  About loading up a UHaul hitching my car to the back & driving (solo) up north.  But financially I am unable to do it solo.

Image


I think if I did it myself it'd be sort of a Coming of Age thing for me, sort of a welcome to real life challenge. I've heard a load of my friends just pack up their cars & leave and I wonder what it feels like to drive solo to your destination.  If I did it, I think I'd feel like I can do anything.  Just Rita (the Buick Regal) & I sewing up that dotted line.

What's on your summer bucket list?








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6.26.2012

I Had A Dream Last Night Where I Was Harry Potter // On Success & Failure

Last night I had a dream where I was Harry Potter.  Weird.  Believe me, I know.  In the dream I was insanely popular, everyone thought I was awesome and, counter to the actual HP story, when my name came out of the Goblet of Fire everyone cheered for me.  It was great. I woke up this morning & thought 'Man, this it totally related to my life right now!'

(Pardon any seeming arrogance but..) I know I make an impression on a lot of people through my blog.  I know because I have tons of friends through blogging, tons of acquaintances (which I had to look up because I couldn't spell that word!), & tons of followers/readers that I appreciate so much, & tons of people that have given me tons of advice.  But my reach doesn't go beyond the magical world of blogging, really.  Just like Harry, where no one outside the magical world knew who he was, no one out side of the small part of the blogging world I am in know who I am.  Even with in Harry's personal life he felt alone & as if no one understood him.  Sometimes, even with in my own personal life, I feel alone.

But, just because your mom's sister's best friend's cousin doesn't read my blog, that doesn't mean I'm not worth something...that I should pack it all up & go home.  Just because you've never heard of me doesn't discount all the things I've done or work hard to do.  Just because I am struggling doesn't mean I am failing.
We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided
source
In HP, Harry Potter saved the world, & millions of people never knew or ever will know that he did....but he still did it.  That's a little epic for just wanting to be a blogger & I'm not saying my blog will save the world, but what I am saying is I still want to do it, even if only one person cares, even if no one understands....because I know, out there somewhere is someone who is nearly like me..& I want to reach them & I want to tell them that I am trying too & that it will all be ok. Hopefully.
I don't want the fear of failure to stop me from doing what I really care about
source
I've achieved so much in this year not only in blogging, but in growing to know myself & knowing what I could do.  As Zach & I try to make plans regarding me moving up to meet him I've realized that I am not financially able to do it without his help.  I am fiercely independent.  Its hard for me to accept help because I am afraid it will dangle over my head as a debt & I'd rather not owe anything to anyone.  But this inability to move doesn't mean that all the things I've done to be financially stable here don't count, that doesn't mean that I'm a failure.  For the past few days I have felt that I haven't lived up to the something that you're supposed to be after college: Financially well off & not just stable.  However, the dream last night made me realize that I've lived up to every goal I've set for myself in this past year & I am so proud!!

I took the job I have now a year ago because it would give me the most experience knowing it wouldn't give me the most money & a year ago I wasn't looking to move 800 miles away.  I've been able to meet all of my financial obligations every month since I've moved out of my parent's house AND put money (however little it may have been) in savings each month.  I've not asked money from my parents once.  I've been able to afford pottery studio time, clay, supplies, etsy fees, sponsor fees, rent, loan payments, insurance payments, gas for my car, trips, visiting my family....all on time, all on my own.  I only asked for help once from someone & only for gas.  I set a goal for myself (ages ago) to not go home after graduation.  So I bought a car, insured it, found a job, & moved, on my own.  And while I haven't been making bank for my first year post grad, I've gained tons of resume experience, tons of experience in indie biz, & I proved to myself that I can do it..what ever the hell the 'it' is that I've been trying to reach, I feel successful.  I've paid off debt & haven't racked up any more, I've been financially responsible for the past year but the fact that I've done this sometimes seems to only matter to me.  I've been able to keep my blog & shop afloat on sales, etc...but that seems to not mean much because I am not profitable yet.  Through all of this I've been able to pay on every debt I have & still use the degree that gave me the majority of my debt, makes me successful.
Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times.  If only one remember to turn on the light
source

Now, the Voldemort I face is not being able to afford to move.  So I hope that, like Harry who, in the end, discovered he had the support of everyone around him who felt he was worth it will work out for me.  They didn't help Harry because they felt sorry for him, they helped him because they knew he was worth it & that it was one thing he couldn't do on his own.  That's what I want: Help because I have deserved it not help because it looks like I am failing.

I am very proud of where I am.  My poorly paid job & my success.  Happiness makes me happy, not money.

Sorry for any poor grammar....






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Feature Interview // Jen @ Motu Viget

Today I want to share with you the feature sponsor for the month of June: Jen from Motu Viget.  Here you'll learn a bit more about her & I hope you pop by her blog!  She's a pretty cool lady!



1. Why did you start blogging?
I started blogging to document the process of applying to the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET). I was lucky enough to be accepted, so I continued blogging about my experiences when I moved to Japan. I forget details easily and I didn't want that to happen during what seemed like such an exciting time of my life! I'm really glad I did too, because honestly those first few months in Japan were such a whirlwind I barely remember them!

2. What is your favorite part about blogging & the blogging community?
Honestly, I'm a bit of a voyeur! I think we all are to some extent. I absolutely love the glimpses bloggers give into their personal lives. It makes me feel so profoundly connected to people all over the world with the same thoughts and concerns as me (as well as the same love for French bulldogs or fabulous fonts!). I'm really looking forward to moving back to the U.S. and being more involved in blogger meet ups and conferences. I'd love to make more blogging friends. So if you're reading this, uh, wanna be friends?

3. What is the hardest part about blogging?
For me, it would be generating content. I often psych myself out thinking no one would want to read about my boring life. But blogging isn't just for readers, it's for me! And I do enjoy it a lot, so I'm going to keep at it even when I feel extraordinarily boring.

5. What is your favorite feature on your blog?
It's newer, but I've loved coming up with my Why Not? posts. I actually try to do all of the things on the list! It can make a rough week so much better when you try to do fun, sweet things for yourself and others. Day-to-day life can be so rough! Why not make it more pleasant?

6. Give us the best blogging advice you've ever received?
Just do it! Well, maybe that advice was from Nike, but it still applies. Through all the doubt, laziness and uncertainty that blogging may cause, just do it. Write something down, put it out there, don't worry.

7. Give us the best advice on life you've ever received?
Live every week like it's "shark week".

8. What is your favorite fruit?
This is the most difficult question I have ever been asked (after what's your favorite novel). I kind of go crazy for fruit. Produce in Japan is expensive and impossible to find out of season. (i.e. a strawberry in September is unheard of!) When I do find affordable fruit, I eat it no matter what it is. I honestly dream about raspberries. I haven't eaten one in over three years! So I guess I'll go with raspberries. Or blueberries. Or all the fruit, actually.

9. What is your favorite color to wear?
The boring, true answer is black. I love black. I don't own a single item of clothing in brown or navy, that is how dedicated to black I am. But I also love wearing greens (mint, sea foam, turquoise, etc.) apparently. I checked out my closet to answer this question and was faced with way more green than I expected. My latest purchase was actually a black and green print dress from Forever 21.

Wow! Jen is so cool!  I can't believe how hard it is to find fruit in Japan.  I ask that question of Feature Sponsors because I love fruit.  It would be so hard to go 3 years with out a raspberry!  Additionally, I will now live every week like it is Shark Week.  No problem!

If you think Jen is a pretty swell gal, check out her blog & connect with her on twitter and facebook.  If you're interested in being a feature sponsor for the month of July, check out the rates here & shoot me an email.  I'd love to have you!  You can also check out past month's sponsors here.







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6.25.2012

Make It Monday // Capture your Summer on Film

Summer always reminds me of my parents & grandparents busting out the the old film cameras to capture Summer memories by the pool, in the park, or at the lake.  I know it's sort of the cool thing to do now a days, but I really think Summer is the best time for analog.  So I wanted to share with you some cool things you can do to capture your summer on film (or even simulated film).

Since nostalgia is a big part of my artist statement, film is something so dreamy to me.  A digital image is so real (pardon the obvious here) & can be a near duplicate of what you see.  Don't get me wrong I know that you can do a lot of amazing stuff with digital photography, I mean look at these examples, but with film there is just something about capturing what wasn't there that is amazing.  The depth of film is pretty cool.

Trash a disposable camera - Weekend before last, I bought 3 disposable cameras to take with me one weekend to the Botanical Gardens near my parents.  I threw one in the pool, poked holes in another, & used a screwdriver & a lighter to mess up the lens on the 3rd.  The pictures turned out really cool & you can see the full set here.  Poking holes in the camera caused too many light leaks so no pictures came out.  I want to try it again by poking holes else where in the camera.  Aslo, I would suggest using anywhere but Walmart to get your film developed (I bought my cameras & developed them at Walgreens).  Walmart's prints are so plasticy looking & poorly printed.  I think they literally print them with ink...gross!
Screw Drive to Lens
Screw Driver to lens
Dropped in Pool


Do a Double Take - Did you know your disposable camera can make double exposures? I didn't until I read somewhere about smacking the camera on the palm of your hand to make the shutter open again.  I tried it first with the camera I dropped in the pool back in June & was surpised that it even worked.  I only have one picture from that camera but I've since taken more.  They all look so cool!  Just take a picture & before advancing your film smack the end of the camera (opposite the shutter release button). Then advance the film & go about your day.  Try turning 180 degrees from where you took the first picture or find something else to capture when you smack the camera.  You'll get a cool double exposure blur effect.
Dropped in pool


Use your instax camera - When I got my instax mini for christmas I thought I'd never use it.  But since Summer means more photo shoots, I've forced myself to take the camera with me where ever I go.  This means I can snap up good ol in the moment summer memories.  I love that there are no negatives to reproduce & no images to edit endlessly on your phone or computer.  Just one image from one second in time, forever.
Instax from my Summer so far

Play around with a Toy Camera - Kaylah from the Dainty Squid is my go to for camera & film inspiration.  She shoots with so many fun toy cameras & I love it!  While I don't have any toy cameras & all my thrifted finds don't work properly, I am still hoping that I can find one on Amazon or Ebay for a super sale.
Gregory GR8 camera on the Hipstamatic D-Series

Hipstamatic D-Series - If you must bust out your iPhone, try capturing images with this app.  You must take 24 exposures before you can see how the pictures turned out.  You can start a camera by yourself or connect to Facebook to share a camera with a friend.  I love this app for it's disposable properties but still, it's nothing compared to film!  My favorite cameras are Gregory GR8, Foxy X69, & Rodney ZX9.  You can vary the effects intensity to get different results, but I find these most closely represent film.  The best part is there is no development time, you don't have to wait an hour in the photo department.

I can't wait for all the adventures I will take & bring a long all these cameras.  I know the move up north will be something to document & though I am nervous, I really can't wait.  I'd like to make some memories on Lake Michigan with some film, hopefully we will be able too!

How will you capture your Summer?







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6.24.2012

Sponsor Five Sixteenths in July

Hey oh! Guess what. It's almost July! Can you believe it! Really, honestly, it seems like January was two days ago.  I even have Christmas pictures still on my phone!

If you're interested in sponsoring Five Sixteenths this month go ahead and check the rates & shoot me an email!









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Sum up Sunday // My Week in Film

Ok, so that title is misleading because only partially the week was in film.  The rest was shot on this app called Hipstamatic D-Series.  This app is supposed to mimic the look & feel of a disposable camera.  You must take all 24 exposures before you can see how your pictures came out.  You can purchase different cameras with different effects.  Some look more like film than others.

Last weekend my family & I went to the Botanical Gardens to look at the flowers.  I went to Walgreens & got a few disposable cameras, trashed them, & took pictures.  Here are some of the results (be warned, its picture heavy!).



Tomorrow I'll tell you exactly what I did & how you can capture your summer on film!
I also brought along my Instax camera to play with.  My aunts thought it was pretty cool that there was a tiny polaroid like camera out there.  I'd take a photo & stick it in my pocket to wait for it to develop.  I didn't look at them all until the end of the day.  What a nice surprise riding home in the car!

These final images are from the Hipstamatic D-Series app. Tomorrow I'll share my favorite 'cameras' available through the app.  I love that you have to take all 24 exposures before you see them.  I downloaded it a while ago, probably before Christmas & I just shot away just to see how the pictures would turn out.  That ruins the fun though so this time I shot with purpose & loved the results!

I used this app at the gardens & during the week when we were all hanging out on Sunday and for Katie's birthday.


This week was also a week of big moving decisions.  I looks like I will be moving at the end of July but we aren't sure where we'll be moving to.  I don't quite want to move in with his brother & him but I don't quite want to move into his parent's house either, though of the two options that's the one I'd pick. I am not quite sure we are ready to buy a house but if we start renting we won't be able to hook up the kiln & I'd really like to be able to continue working in clay & not wait forever to do so.  We've found a house we really like but I'm not sure if we're ready for that step! Sheesh, being young is hard right?

I guess we'll just have to keep working at it.  His boss is going to take the time to discuss houses with him & the best areas to live in tomorrow.  So hopefully that will give us some insight.

I've also been working on blog designs, etc & want to add a few more designs in the shop but just haven't gotten around to it.  If you're interested in a custom design, I am just wrapping one up so I'd love to take on another project.  Shoot me an email if you're interested!  I've also got open studio this afternoon & am soooo excited! I can't wait to throw some more & see if what I've glazed has come out fo the kiln yet! woooo hooo!

Hope you're having a lovely weekend!







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