Season Spirit.

Has it really been over two weeks since I updated? This month has really flown by.

Well since this is the day before my 12 day weekend, I wanted to share some holiday festivities and some recent picture snapping.

After receiving my Grandmother's ornament collection from my Grandfather last year, I was all too eager to break out my tree and decorations again this year. So I dug out the charming boxes from the back of my closet, put on the cheesy christmas music, warmed up eggnog and got to decorating. I even baked some apples for the occasion. Not to mention I got to put up a new special ornament from my favorite non-christmas-celebrating person. (his first experience ever making a Christmas ornament). <3

The further I get away from my many years I worked in retail through college, the more I am becoming ok with kind of loving this time of year. I still hate the consumer over-spending side of the holiday. But I can't help but secretly love the warm drinks, fuzzy socks, time with family, oh and the food...cant forget the food. And I suppose I don't really celebrate the holiday in a traditional way but more in a cultural way.

Last year Oklahoma City got hit by the worst ice/snow storm so I didn't get to spend any time with my family because the roads were so bad. After being trapped in my car for several hours, I ended up spending the holiday with friends and friend-of-friends and making the best of it with Wii and wine. It was actually a great time, but I have to say I really missed having that time to goof off with my nieces and nephews and watch holiday movies with them. It's just not the same exchanging gifts in the summer that you didn't have the opportunity to give them at Christmas.

Well here is to hoping for drivable weather and good times with family and friends. I hope you all have a lovely holiday.

-Angela

Wednesday Inspiration.

Just some lovely images to help you through the post-vacation mid-week.

a. I love brights that are appropriately integrated into fall. The brown belt is perfect.

b. Im pretty sure those are men's dress shoes. I'll take every pair anyway. Thanks.

c. Never ending style inspiration.

d. Taken from the adorable gal at Kansas Couture. A fellow bargain hunting thrifter.

e. After this busy week. I just want to curl up in a cozy chair just like that one and read.

-Angela

Gratitude 2010

-Angela

Turkey Dai!

Photo by Annie Schlechter.

Hope you have a great holiday!

The Sahara.

Some entries don't need words.

-Angela

E+K

Remember that wedding I said I was going to in the last post?

Well I never ended up posting these, but I took their engagement pictures last spring.

They were such a fun couple to shoot! They met at Oklahoma City University and their wedding was set at the OCU chapel. So naturally we had to get some fun pictures there with sidewalk chalk. After that we headed to the Paseo Arts district where we found that fantastic pink wall and played around with more sidewalk chalk. Last but not least they wanted to get the feel of Oklahoma City downtown, so instead of just walking around and taking pictures, they were good sports and let me take them atop a parking garage for some extremely romantic shots. She might have even overcome her fear of heights that day!... yeah maybe not. :)

Anyway they are a fun couple with a great sense of adventure so I am sure they have a fun-filled future ahead of them. Congrats guys!

-Angela

Mellah.

Happy Friday everyone! Wanted to share a couple more pictures from my trip last June.

This was from Mellah (ancient jewish quarter) in Marrakech. It was established in the 16th century and is now populated mainly by Muslims. The narrow streets call back to a time before roads were built for cars. It was one of my favorite areas of the city, other than avoiding the scooters whizzing by.

Is it obvious I am longing for my vacation time yet?...

Ok ok enough longing, my plans for the weekend are:

-Finish up a photo project I have been working on for a long while.

-See David Sedaris at Borders!

-Celebrate the birthdays of my friends.

-Attend a wedding

-Celebrate more birthdays

-Other things I am probably forgetting at the moment, my brain is a little spent today

How about you guys?

-Angela

Thankful.

Thanksgiving is coming up next week and I am already feeling thankful.

I took this picture last thanksgiving of my Grandfather who is now in his mid-eighties and I just feel so lucky that I am getting to spend another holiday with him. Because I credit him a lot in the formation of who I am today.

It is getting to be that time when one feels more and more pressure to tell the people you love how you truly feel about them, because who knows if you will have another chance. Not only because of maturing age, but just realizing that at any moment there are a whole myriad of things that can happen. Not even a millisecond of life is really guaranteed.

Nothing in life is really ever guaranteed.

I guess that is why sometimes I feel as though faith in an afterlife is really a cop out for not living your current life to the fullest, saying the things you need to say, being the person you need to be.

Perhaps that is a rather judgmental way to view it....

So let me back up to say that honestly, even if someone proved to me today that I would see everyone I love again, I would still want to go on living my life as though I might not.

We humanoids take things in life for granted far too much, especially people.

----

"And instead of saying all of your goodbyes - let them know

You realize that life goes fast
It's hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning 'round"

-The Flaming Lips

-Angela

Uh oh...

So I think I am starting to miss Morocco lately. It started becoming obvious to me when I saw it start to creep it's way into my inspiration folder. First in subtle ways and then later in more blatantly obvious photos being dragged into my folder I keep full of endless beautiful interiors. I have noticed they are starting to drift away from being purely American Mid-Century Modern to having bits of ethnic patterns and ornate lines finding their way in.

I guess it's true that travel does change us a bit and broadens our views of what we find beautiful or inspiring wether we like it or not. You can try to come back the same person and hold on to your old ideas with all your might but it you will find its a pointless effort. You are indeed changed. I think this goes for many life experiences but especially for seeing a part of the world that is so different from your own.

Or maybe this is all just a sign from the universe that I need a vacation...

Is it thanksgiving yet?

-Angela

2011 Calendar Hunting

This year it has been soooo hard for me to choose a new calendar. Being a bit of a design/photography nut I tend to get really excited when picking out my new calendar for the year. What would I like to use to count my days away?

a. Graph Paper Neutra Calendar by Oven-Door-Owl? I seem to like the gray and white neutral one, don't you?

b. Gorgeous letterpress calendar with animal illustrations by INK+WIT?

c. Beautifully designed decorative calendar by Beau Ideal?

d. Orrrr would I like the illustrated in-season vegetable calendar by Sia Design? Swoooon.

There are too many talented artists to choose from!

Which one do you guys like?

-Angela

Ps. Last year I had the 2010 version of This Andrew Zuckerman Calendar. Loved it.

Holiday Postcard!

Happy Monday! I am having a particularly great day at work today so I thought I would share a recent piece I put together for our annual Christmas show. The look of this postcard we send out every year hadn't been drastically changed in a long while so I was thrilled that they loved this vintage inspired woodcut look. :)

Happy Monday everyone!

-Angela

A sad time for Oklahoma.

This isn't a political Blog at all whatsoever.

But this IS a blog written by an Oklahoman about creativity.

Things like this seek to squash creativity, freedom of expression,

and appreciation of other cultures.

Well, silence hasn't always been my strong suit,

and I guess sometimes that isn't such a bad thing.

-Angela

OCU Undergraduate Viewbook.

Hey guys just wanted to share a few of my favorite spreads from a recent job I did for

the university.

These are from a 32 page viewbook I did this summer, one of about 6 pieces I redesigned for Undergraduate Admissions. The idea was to give a colorful update that made sense as an evolution from the gorgeous pieces 3rd Degree Advertising did for us 2 years ago.

3rd Degree was definitely a tough act to follow as they won Gold Addys for the pieces, but as a cost saving measure we had to bring them in-house on this round. I gave many nods to the old design while adding splashes of color and photos as a change or evolution.

Redoing this series of publications was definitely one of the bigger challenges I have had in my career as a designer so far and I am so glad it finished well and that my clients

seem pleased.

-Angela

ps. That handsome fellow in the upper right of the dreamers & doers spread is my beau.