Book Binding and Art Journaling

So it's been like 2 months since I've started working on these projects here but I thought I'd share them none-the-less. I mean, come on. This stuff is beautiful procrastination!
Anyway, this is the latest book I bound for an art journal! Not sure what I'm going to do with it yet but I'm leaning toward making an Inspiration Wednesday type journal inspired by none other than THE Donna Downey, who I absolutely love. If you're any type of creative person and you don't know who she is, you need to go check out her blog/website (http://www.donnadowney.com/) she is amazing.

And here's some of my favorite pages in my new 2012 daily journal. So much for journaling everyday. I'm way too busy. Which is kind of depressing. But at least I'm getting more journaling in than before. That was the whole point anyway :)

frustrations.

So I'm trying to update my blog here and I am just so darn confused. If anyone is around and reading this, will you please help me?! I really need to figure out how to read/write html code because I want my blog to look organized and awesome like I actually know what I'm doing. Good thing I get to take a web design class at school sometime in the next 3 years. Hopefully sooner than later. Otherwise I'm open to any tips and tricks you'd like to throw my way!

Semper Fidelis

Well since the San Diego airport is so generously offering me free wifi as I sit here and wait for my flight back to Minneapolis, I figured why not share what my trip to Cali was all about...
Though it was MUCH too short, it was a great three days out here. I arrived late thursday night to attend my big brother's graduation from Marine basic training at MCRD San Diego on Friday morning.
After 12 weeks of intense training, my brother is now a MARINE!!

I couldn't be more proud. It was so great to see him again and spend the weekend with the entire family. We went to sea world again just like when we were kids and I won a GIANT ELEPHANT PILLOW PET!!

Coolest. Thing. Ever.

Unfortunately, I'm on my way back to reality now.  But I get to see my brother again soon and actually talk to him on the phone at least! Plus Thanksgiving is in only 17 days!! Not only does that mean a break from school, but DELICIOUS food. There's nothing that makes a broke college student happier than a yummy, home-cooked meal.

Well, Gotta go! My plane is boarding.

Stay Classy, San Diego.

... And thanks for stopping by.

Procrastination at it's Finest.

 I should really be doing the mounds of homework I have. Oh and probably study for the midterm I have tomorrow at 9AM. But instead I do this.

Pants Are For Cool People

Pants are just too overrated and constraining to be productive in.  Go ahead, call me a freak. I won't take offense considering it's true.  But you should really try it sometime.  It gives you a sense of... freedom, if you will.  And being in college now, freedom is what it's all about!  It's a good thing that my roommate is cool with me walking around our awesome dorm room sans pantalons.  Which brings me to the fun part of this post. (Well, even more fun because we're already talking about bare butts here! Woo!)

...Check out my kick-ass dorm room. It's a suite. NBD.

A post of Firsts

My goodness.  Have you ever seen so many firsts in one post? Well probably not because you don't even know what they are firsts of. Here. Let me tell you.
You see, I went on a short little vacation to New York (for the first time) at the beginning of August as one last hurrah before I go off to school. So I decided I wanted to make something to document it.
In the past, I've taken tons of pictures of trips, events, etc. and plan to make some awesome scrapbook or album after the fact... It has never actually happened. Well, actually, I take that back. I did start and fail on a few and one ended up being completed about 2 years later.
So THIS time, I decided to be proactive and begin making a book BEFORE the trip! Smart huh? What can I say?
I used my newfound love for art journaling to create this guy here (My FIRST travel journal) with some help from Mary Ann Moss. I haven't actually taken her class YET but I watched quite a few "Remainders of the Day" journal flips from others on the wonderful YouTube that helped me get the gist of things. I read up on some book binding tutorials and I was off to work!
I gathered up some old folders, papers, envelopes, etc. and bound them all together to make something I could easily take with me on the plane and work on in the hotel after eventful days in NYC.
While we were there, I collected ticket stubs, receipts, brochures, business cards, and anything else that would make for a memorable (and pretty!) travel journal, then added journaling so I won't forget everything we did once I'm seventy and senile. Once I got home I stuck in some pictures I developed from Walgreens.. And this is what I got!!
Behold.. My FIRST stop-motion video.

I apologize, It's not the best. But I was too lazy to go back and re-do it. For your information this took 542 pictures to put together. So enjoy this, gosh-darnit!

It's July Already?

Oh goodness. Look at the time. Or rather the date. Unfortunately it isn't 3:15 in either respect so it's neither my birthday nor a perfect time to blog but it has been quite a while since my last post regardless.  So I think I'm long overdue.
Where to begin?  But does it really matter?  No one is reading this anyway, I'm sure.  So I could start writing my own graphic novel similar to that of the oh-so-popular 50 Shades of Grey.  But don't worry I won't. {You're Welcome.}
Well I suppose I'll just share my newest creative encounter. And let me tell you, it's a good one.  While on a shopping spree with some of my besties (pardon the teenage girl-talk, but there's no better word for them) I stumbled upon "SO MANY DEALS."  One, in particularly, blew my mind.  Regularly priced at 100 doll hairs and found at lovely and hipster-esque places across the land such as Urban Outfitters you may find a Diana Mini Lomography Camera that looks something like this.

However, mine is simply black.. like the color of my skin this summer (you wouldn't believe me if I told you I'm the tannest I've ever been this summer considering I'm still pasty a.f. but look at this watch tan!)

Ok back on subject. I was so excited to find my Diana Mini at the local Marshall's for less than a QUARTER of the price!  Being a college student now, it only makes sense that I'm cheap and broke. Especially since I just got my new MacBook Pro for studying and working hard at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities this fall where I will major in Graphic Design and Minor in French! HoOrAy! And I'm sure that's all I'll use my MacBook for. ;)
Jeez! my thoughts keep wandering! Oh well, who cares. This is honestly more for my personal enjoyment that for any of you "readers" cuz lezzzbe honest I have no readers. I'm such a nerd. So much so that I'm going to start a legit journal. I've been art journaling for about 2 or 3 months now after finding out about this hobby while on a different shopping spree at Michael's. Wow I shop too much. I think I might die in college. That's sad. I'm really not a materialistic bitch, I promise! But anywho, I had never heard of such thing as art journaling, and let me tell you, that's sad.  I can't even explain how obsessed I've become with it and how much I love it. The majority of my free time these days is spent scrolling through instagram, blogs, youtube, and anything I can find for inspiration, tutorials, and just something pretty to look at.  Someday soon I'm going to make a stop-motion video of me flipping through my art journal and post it on here so "everyone" can see it.  But really just so I can check it off my Blog Bucket List.  I've always wanted to do a stop-motion vid.
But as for my journal, It's been mostly just slamming/scrapping/junk journaling rather than truly journaling about my life. I always thought that kind of thing was cheesy and something eleven year old girls did under their covers before they went to bed at night so they could brag about how they just kissed little johnny, the cutest boy in school, on the cheek during an intense game of truth or dare. However, after watching The Vow with my mother like a total coolcat, I kind of had an epiphany. It may have started with a little bit of irrational thinking and playing the "what if" game, but I decided that I don't want to take any chances that I may lose my memory someday weather it be from a brain injury like in the film or simply from old age. I want to be able to know what my life was like, what my thoughts were from day to day, the crazy stuff I did, the awesome friends I had. So today marks that day.
I'm not sure what the book will turn out to be, how big it will be, how awful it may look (I'm still an amateur here. Don't judge me), or even the type of book it will be. There are so many things I want to try -- things I will add to my Blog Bucket List.  Everything from my own book binding, to altered books, to smash books, to project life.  The possibilities are endless. ENDLESS I TELL YOU! And it doesn't help that I'm the world's worst decision maker on top of being a little bit of a perfectionist.
I'm hoping that through this journal I'll not only have some awesome documentation but perhaps I'll become a bit of a better writer and photographer, as this will urge me to capture more of life's moments through the lenses of my many cameras.. Starting with the ones I took with my Diana Mini on a trip to the Zoo with some of the greatest friends I could ask for.

                                                                                                             

Wow.  Would you look at that ^^
I talk way too much.
I'm starting to see that this is going to be one full art journal.
My apologies.
Over and OUT.