FILOLI GARDENS

Perhaps a little late of an upload, but my trip with the ladies (plus Stevo!) to Filoli Gardens was so unforgettably beautiful. If ever you find yourself galavanting around in Northern California with nothing to do you've GOT to go!

I grew up surrounded by beautiful yards that my mom took so much pride in. Actually, one of the things I remember most when I was young was getting up in the mornings and helping my mom plant flowers, pull weeds + trim the dead leaves. Not to mention, I wasn't given allowance for it...I guess I just grew to enjoy the beauty that came from all the upkeep. We always had walkers (and sometimes even drivers) stop at our house just to look and appreciate the landscaping. People even knocked on our door, shocked to hear that it was my mother (not a gardener) that took care of it all. So perhaps visiting Filoli wouldn't be the most enjoyable trip for some but I sure enjoyed myself!!

GALLERY WALLS

I'm a big fan of gallery walls + found a few helpful tips for how or where to place multiple frames on one wall. It definitely draws attention (think accent wall) and is a great thing to try if you're looking to add some fun + flare to a room that has been forever the same. Here are some helpful resources: 

DIY Gallery Wall Template

Gallery wall on a staircase

Picture Grouping Variations

DINGBATS

For my Digital Illustration midterm we were to create 26 dingbats, all following a particular theme chosen by our classmates.

My theme was kitchen utensils and these are my favorite 19 of the 26! I created each shape and vector by hand. How? Wellllll, I scanned my own sketches and photos of the different utensils and then traced them using the pen tool....I thought i'd never conquer pen tool curves, which are a LOT tougher than they sound--promise!!

I had a ton of fun with it + learned so much working in Adobe Illustrator, a program I am learning for the first time. Because I am proud of my FIRST project using Illustrator, I have placed it into my Portfolio! YAY!

Click here to check out my portfolio

VASONA

Going home is always such a treat and although at times I find myself overwhelmed by all the commotion (keep in mind...my family is mostly girls) it's always nice to be back with the good ole fam. It was my sister, uncle and grams' birthday so we spent the whole weekend celebrating! Part of that celebration entailed an afternoon at Vasona Park in Los Gatos. Some played games, some relaxed, but we all managed to finish up the leftovers from our big, fat BBQ the night before.

Annnd as you can see....we have another little one on the way (and A BOY!!) 

XORBING

Yes..we went Xorbing and yes it was one of the most entertaining things I have done in quite sometime. It isn't everyday that you come across a giant, practically human-sized hamster ball to mess around in. I have to admit, my favorite part was actually being able to front+back flips without worrying about the landing! 

Supposedly it's one of the fastest growing outdoor adventure activities + can be done over water, on sand, down hills, etc. All I know, it that I had the time of my life + quite the workout!! 

If you're interested you can check out SD Xorbing here!

MMM MMM GOOD [protein shake]

After making (if I may say so myself) the most taste-bud pleasing piece of goodness there is after my workout yesterday, I decided that I had no other choice but to share it with the world. I mean, it's not like there is any super secret ingredient to all of this madness, but let me tell you....it's FREAKING delicious!!!! Alright so let me break it down:

Get your blender out and throw in:

2-3 scoops of protein powder

1-2 spoonfuls of peanut butter

1-2 spoonfuls of flaxseed meal

1 handful of ice

[optional: 1 scoop of choc. Nesquik + 1 frozen banana]

*fill milk, water, or vanilla coconut milk to the top of the ingredients or a tad below for a thicker consistency

AND VOILA!!! ENJOY :)

[Discovery Lake] TRAILS N0.2

With school kicking into full gear, Maurice's track season progressing + work booming for me it's been a whole lotta stress and a whole little free-time. As we were both sitting down doing homework, aggravated + frustrated with how much we had left after how much we had already done we decided to throw down the books (or in my case, computer) + hit the trails!

There really is no greater feeling than being out in the fresh air after being cooped up + working all day, so we made our way to Discovery Lake. It's a pretty easy loop, but we took a few detours, explored down by the lake + just enjoyed having each other's full attention. We realized that there are so many reasons to smile through all the stressors that school + work bring--we ALL just need to make + take the time to recognize them.

We got a few good shots from our little jaunt so I thought i'd go ahead and share :)

Happy Tuesday!!

[Typography] N0.1

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Because i'm a sucker for type...I will most likely be sharing many of the projects assigned in this quarter's typography class!

It's my first time taking typography + so far, I can't get enough of it! I've always had that keen eye for exuberant type (not that this particular one excerpts exuberance). Ads, clothing labels, packaging or movie trailers with intriguing type always get me--i'll just straight up give in....sorry!

Even though my typography teacher is quite the stickler, I quite enjoy his somewhat arrogant + authoritative presence. He lets you know exactly what he wants + how to execute (and you better not even take a peek in another direction). Realistically, in the future, I will be dealing with clients who hold high standards + close attention to detail so it all is actually very telling. This project we had quite a bit of leeway in designing our very own font. It is the first thing I have put into my portfolio!

I let my love for geometric shapes and lines run wild + came up with the above. I created each letter by hand using the pen + line tools! What do you think?

WHAT I WAKE UP TO

 

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In Lieu of a contest ran by a fabulous fellow blogger Leah Bergman, I was challenged to snap a photo of something that makes my heart "pitter-patter". Sooooo.... as I was going through my instagram feed early in the AM (where I came across the contest) and simultaneously being serenaded by my most handsome + talented boyfriend, I couldn't help but snap a few pics. 

Not even in my wildest dreams have I dreamt of finding someone so loving + kind, so happy + so willing to do whatever it takes to make me feel special....definitely has that "pitter-patter" effect on me!

So here's to the Splendid Loves Freutcake contest + to the one who makes my world go round! 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON THE CONTEST

OLDIES BUT GOODIES

Finally- a post! I have been pulling my hair out trying to stay on top of school + work lately. The perfectionist in me has seemed to get the best of me. I am rarely one to stress about small things so when I found myself doing so, I needed to lay off a little. But I am back! 

Since it's Thursday and "throwback thursday" just seems to be the greatest thing in the world (on instagram at least) I decided to pull + share a few sisterly gems. It's always so much fun to go back and reminisce, roll our eyes at the slicked back hair dos my mother insisted on, laugh at all the awkward stages we went through + most importantly CHERISH those times and each other. 

With the very recent news of the death of a very close childhood friend of mine--I feel it necessary to sit down + take the time to think about my sisters, how much they mean to me + recognize that ANYTHING can happen. Nobody can control when a loved one is taken from us, but we CAN control our actions and words. That said, I am aiming to keep this in mind whenever I become frustrated or upset--just something to remember.

Have a wonderful, WONDERFUL Thursday + be sure to tell those close to you that you LOVE them!