Snowmageddon 2014

   

Read about my zombie apocalypse training after the jump!

The Creepy Hearts Club is OFFICIAL!

  

Okay - I started a Tumblr for all the Creepy Hearts Club fun!  I just had to because I mailed out my first sets of hearts today and I had so much fun assembling everyone's packages that I had to share it!

If you want to join, email me your mailing address and I'll send you a cute little set of Creepy Hearts!  Post a photo of them to Tumblr and tag it with #creepyheartsclub and tag @creepyheartsclub to join in on the fun!  I'll repost all photos to the Tumblr.  And by the way - this will not be limited to Valentine's Day!  It'll be all year long!

Send inquiries to:
creepyheartsclub@gmail.com
OR
shelovesyoublog@gmail.com

Hooray for making new friends!  Happy Saturday!

Join the Creepy Hearts Club!

I think I'm going to start a "Creepy Hearts Club" tag on Instagram so that my pen pals can share and tag their photos of their "Creepy Hearts Club" hearts!  What do you think?  Wanna join?  I already have some requests!  I might even make a Tumblr for it...we'll see!

If you'd like to be part of the Creepy Hearts Club, email me your address: shelovesyoublog@gmail.com
Don't worry - I won't share your address with anyone else!

Happy Friday!

Long renders = crafting time!

 

During a very long render at work yesterday, I cut up some triangles so that when I got home, I could make pretty little Valentine bunting AND turned two paper straws into arrows!  I love them so much!  I'm trying to find a way to mount them around the house...

For the bunting, I arranged the triangles in a pretty color order, wrote out scripty letters and sewed them together using regular thread.  I think I might opt for 2-3 strands of embroidery floss for the next set.  I will also try not to watch Teen Wolf while I do this because I kept stabbing my fingers!  If you watch the show, I'm really worried about Stiles.  His condition (not knowing whether you're asleep and dreaming or awake in real life) really freaks me out.  Like, A LOT.  If you don't watch the show, please disregard that last part...

For the arrows, I looked at the photo here and made my own version with black construction paper.  It's so easy!  I think I might do this to all my things - pencils, pens, plastic straws...

Long renders also mean I can attempt to follow along with Omiyage Blogs and their Kirigami Project!
Mine don't look *quite* the same but it's still a lot of fun!  Also - I need to sharpen my work scissors because the jagged edges are NOT cute!



Happy Wednesday!

Pretty Mail Inspiration!

Since I can't reveal exactly what I received from my secret pen pal just yet, I can say that it was so awesome that I immediately started working on her thank you package - after I took photos, of course!  I put the finishing touches on it last night and it's almost ready to send out.  I can't wait until she gets it!

The other day, I was checking out the pretty washi tapes that Omiyage Blogs has and I saw their Lucky Bags.  It's like a mixed bag (heyyoo!) of fun stuff: pretty tapes, stationery, tags, sequin strip, and best of all: paper straws!

 

I was so happy when I saw I had a pack of cute purple and white paper straws!  Why?  I was feeling majorly inspired by The Stationery Place's Valentine Pinterest board!  Especially this pin from Design*Sponge.  Just look at that cute arrow straw!!


Source

That'll be something fun to send to my nieces!  I'm also pretty sure that I bent all my paperclips into hearts at work and at home...Why not?!

Want more pretty mail inspiration?  Check out this post!

Enjoy!

Let's Be Pen Pals!

I think you might have noticed that I added a little something to the right side of my little blog layout...
It's my P.O. Box address!  I'm having so much fun with sending and receiving mail that I thought maybe I should see if anyone wants to exchange mail with me!

I've also signed up for the Handmade Valentine Swap hosted by The Stationery Place.  (You still have time to sign up!)  I had so much fun with the Secret Pen Pal Scavenger Hunt that I had to do another one!

Speaking of, I received my parcel from my secret pen pal last night and I LOVE IT!!  I got so much fun stuff, I can't wait to show you on Reveal Day - Feb. 5th!  So great!!  I spent most of last night photographing my sweet little items for the reveal post (and starting a little thank you card to send back).  This is such a wonderfully refreshing creative boost!

I'm hoping this will turn into an on-going thing with the new friends I'm making through snail mail!  Won't you join me? :)



Happy Friday!

SPSH2014: Sent Mail + gifts for myself (because why not?)

 

Yesterday was a good - NO - a GREAT day for mail!  I got my items from Adam JK's shop - which felt like Christmas morning - AND I packed up my parcel to be sent to my pen pal!  In fact, the post man left with it about two hours ago, so it should be able to start its journey very soon!

I can't wait to get my parcel!  While I was lurking through the #SPSH2014 tag on Instagram, I came across mine, I think.  I'll know when it arrives, which should be Friday because that's what the receipt says!

I had such a blast putting this project together!  I hope the recipient likes it.  I had one more thing to pack in the box but I haven't gotten an email regarding the status of my order.  It's all good, though.  I guess I should've warned my pen pal that I would mail her something separately.  Of course, I thought about that AFTER I sealed the box.  Duh.  Silly me.

This week has not been my week.  I feel like the only good things have been getting my package ready for my pen pal and receiving all the fun stuff I ordered.  Oh, and also completely changing my script.

That's right - I flipped the script (lololololololol NO) and changed the ending completely.  In order to make this new ending work, I had to add an element in, which I hadn't planned on at all but it turned out being a lot less scary than I thought I would be.  Once I get it typed up, I'll proofread for cosmetic things (like typos and such) and then send it off to my friend to edit.  Phew!  I'm excited and scared about this story but I love it so much and I'm hoping I can get it on the track to being made!

     

How is your Wednesday going?

Secret Pen Pal Scavenger Hunt 2014 - City Explorer's Kit

As I'm typing this, I'm exporting the video portion for the Secret Pen Pal Scavenger Hunt!  I'm so excited about the cute little minute-long video I made just for this project!  I thought it would be appropriate since I'm a video editor / motion graphics artist, after all...I can't share it just yet but I will be uploading it to my YouTube channel for those of you who are interested in seeing it (besides my pen pal!)

Yesterday, I gathered the most important items for the City Explorer's Kit.  Check it out:



Chandler was very generous with the Batdorf and Bronson goodies (there is another sticker that's not pictured), I went by Only You Tattoo and picked up some post cards, business cards and stickers (some of those are missing from this photo as well), Chandler also went by Octane yesterday and picked us up a couple of cappuccinos - I had an extra cup to share (hooray!), I'm spreading the Fresh+i+Am love by parting with a Roxie sticker and finally, I went by The Varsity (the one by me) and picked up a paper hat!  Very Atlanta.

I hope my pen pal likes it!  I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to assemble everything.  The cup is throwing me off with the City Explorer's Kit right now and I think I might bundle the Batdorf & Bronson pen with the Writing Kit.  Hmmm....decisions, decisions...

How's your Monday going?

Secret Pen Pal Scavenger Hunt 2014 - Progress!

On Tumblr, I revealed a little snippet of what I'm putting together for the Secret Pen Pal Scavenger Hunt 2014!  I was a little hesitant to post anything about it because I took the "Secret" part of the title literally.  Like, as in ZERO posts about it until it was reveal day.  But I got a happy email from the organizer encouraging (and reminding) all participants to post their progress, so I did!  Here are my little things:



For the first two photos, I attempted calligraphy again and wrote out the recipe for a Colony Cocktail.  According to ProhibitionRepeal.com, the Colony was a speakeasy in New York where the Vanderbilts and Windsors went to dine in a civilized manner, with a cocktail (or two), no questions asked.  I also included two photos I took last year of the Biltmore Estate to bring it together.

The train ticket is a cute little piece of ephemera that I found and filled out with the recipient's information and it'll be tucked away in a little Travelogue I'm putting together.

I've been having so much fun with it and photographing items along the way with my Nikon and I can't wait to share the whole thing on reveal day!  The send date is quickly approaching and I'm hoping I collect all my items this weekend so I can finish assembling items and photographing the whole thing before it gets sent to its wonderful recipient at the end of next week!

I'm also very excited to see what I get in return!  It's so inspiring checking out the #secretpenpalscavengerhunt tag on Tumblr and Instagram!  I've been in a bit of a slump with social media so this might be the thing to perk me back up again :)

And because I'm trying to up my mail game, I'm going to start sending my lovely Californian something every month.  This month, I finally sent him his I Miss You card from Stay Home Club because I was feeling very selfish and I wanted to let him know that I love him and miss him very much.  I already have his Valentine's Day card picked out (with confetti!) and I'm already thinking about what his birthday card will look like for May.  I've also got a couple of ideas floating around for my nieces and their birthdays and some other folks I plan on sending pretty mail to!

Omiyage Blogs, Wreck This Girl and The Love Parcel are big time inspirations for this new project for me and I can't wait to see how many new friends come from it!

Are you doing any mail exchanges?  Send me links to your incoming / outgoing mail!

Fantasy Friday: Make a Date with Walter Mitty

I was supposed to write this post last week but I didn't get a chance to.  Oops!
One of the things I wanted to *try* and start doing for the blog was getting it to a place where there was a little more structure - like maybe having a theme day (not like Gif Party Wednesdays) but more like Fantasy Friday.  But this Fantasy Friday would be a little different.  It wouldn't be like the old incarnation of what it used to be - with the day being dedicated to sexy photos for one hot actor / musician every week.  No - it would be that PLUS other fantasy things like photo shoots that would evoke thoughts of fantasy or movies that bring that element out.

So - for the first revamped Fantasy Friday, I wanted to talk about a film that's getting weird reviews: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.


Image source

I saw this film with my Dad and my old man before the New Year and I had a moment of clarity that I had never achieved before.  I mean, it was that deep for me because:
1.) I'm looking to shake up my life as much as Walter is
2.) One of my resolutions is to travel more this year
3.) I'm seeking for the meaning to my life - very much like Walter
4.) My new birth control is making me even more emotional than normal


Image source

Let's start with this: say what you will about Ben Stiller but I have mad love and respect for him as a director.  I LOVE when he's behind the camera.  I mean, The Cable Guy, Zoolander, Tropic Thunder...and now, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  He has a clear vision and he does great things with text.  Granted, I would love more textual elements in the style of J.J. Abrams (because it's aesthetically pleasing to me) but I LOVED the sequence where Walter starts his actualized journey to Greenland.  It's lovely.  It made me cry.  I'm not giving anything away by telling you this, by the way - you see the beginning of the journey in the trailer (the slow motion run in front of past Life covers with Walter on the cover in an astronaut helmet).  The text elements for the sequence are beautiful and the song selection is already a tear-jerker for me (in certain situations, of course).  Basically, that whole sequence is so thoughtful and so beautiful and so meaningful that I was a crying mess during the whole thing.  That might be #4 on my list above's fault but you know what?  I don't care.

I had a major realization watching this film and even though it sounds like a weird, abbreviated male version of Eat, Pray, Love (or as I like to call it Rich People Problems), I relate more to this story than most things lately and I don't care who knows it.  This film is great and I encourage EVERYONE to see it.  My Libra Sun and Moon were both crying at how this spoke to them because, as we may or may not know, Libras are dreamers and this movie speaks to all the dreamers out there.

See it and let me know what you think of it!

Happy Friday!

January Resolutions: Cross one off the list!

                                   

January is in full swing and there a BIG item on my list of resolutions that I can cross off.  That's right - on Sunday, I finished my very FIRST script.  Granted, it's only the first draft and my red pen and I went to town on it last night with tons of revisions and formatting notes but still - I fucking finished it.

Why is this such a huge deal?  Because, like I've said before, I have NEVER finished a story...EVER.  It's too final!  It's too absolute!  One thing that plowed me forward on this was a great roundtable discussion my writing mentor sent me.  It's an hour long and I'm only able to get through the first 15 minutes before I get interrupted but those first 15 minutes are intense and so full of knowledge!  And remnants of this article from Hello Wordsmith kept moving me forward, too.  I can tell when I read that because my attitude changes mid-script.  It doesn't take away from the story or anything but you can feel the determination in my writing, that's for sure!

There are a lot of cosmetic things I need to do with it before I can start pitching it - like formatting, adding scene headings where they need to go, some name changes, and adding a few extra scenes so that it flows a little better but I'm determined to get it to a good place by the end of the month.

As I read through it last night, I was really proud of myself for actually finishing it.  And I think it's a good story.  One of the things I took away from the roundtable video (all 15 minutes of it) was that every writer / artist thinks their story / art is great (so true) but not everyone is going to like it (also true) but you just have to believe in yourself and write / make what's true to you.  That is my one biggest takeaway.  My mentor said it and I've heard it time and time again for ANY creative project.  This story is very important to me (so much so that I had a bit of a breakdown when I finished it) and I want to make sure I get it done the right way - which my mentor and I have to talk about.  We talked about it briefly before but now that the first draft is done and I have recruited my bestest best friend to help me edit (because he's a far more excellent writer than I am), I need to talk about how we're going to get this damn thing MADE.  In my Master List journal AND my Unraveling 2014 Workbook, I put in there that I would like to start pre-production for this film in Novemeber 2014 at the LATEST.  Lofty, yes, but I really want to get this done...like, NOW!

Hello 2014!

Last night, we attempted to try something new...by going to the Peach Drop in Atlanta!  Let me tell you - it was FREEZING!!  Yes, freezing!  Even for Georgia!  I think our problem was that we got there way too early and we just couldn't stand around in the freezing cold for that long.  Also, I spent yesterday exploring the Blogilates app and found myself doing Bikini Blaster 2: Legs Part 1 and 2 and my legs are COOKED.  I started feeling it in my calves last night as we walked around the bitter cold trying to warm up.  It didn't work, so we hopped back on MARTA and got home right before midnight.
Sucks, right?  Well...we hadn't exactly planned on bundling up for the evening (and neither did other folks in shorts and flip flops - what??) but we were still glad we were able to go and it wasn't as tough as I thought it would be!  I was thinking it would be this clusterfuck of stuff all over downtown but really, it was well-organized.  Especially the wall-o-porta-potties.  I hadn't planned on hitting those up but I forgot one tiny detail: when my feet are cold (which they definitely were) I have to pee.  Weird, I know, but it's true.  I didn't think about it until my toes felt like they were going to freeze off and my bladder was like, "Um...hello?  I gots to go, like, NOW".  Annoying.
Whatevs - we still had fun, I got my old man a little sauced and I started work on a few things for the New Year!



I took Gabi's advice over on Pixie and Pixier and started a Master List for this year.  I went and got a cute little Hello Kitty journal and started my list a few days ago.  So far, it's shaping up to be pretty good!  I've got A LOT ahead of myself and I'm very excited!

I also downloaded Susannah Conway's Unraveling the Year Ahead 2014 workbook and I wrote so much in the first few pages that I had to stop because my hand was cramping!  Man, I must be getting old...Just kidding!  Anyways - one of the best things I did was sign up for her Love Letters because I've been getting some great things in my inbox that give me a lot to think about!  Great, motivating stuff!

Then, this morning, as a little treat for myself, I watched Drag U while I did some work on the elliptical.  I don't know why I wanted to work my legs out even more after yesterday but what can I say, I like the pain!

Watching Drag U really put me in a great mood and I think I want to go to my family's annual Beans and Greens dinner in not-quite-but-close-to full drag.  I LOVE drag!  I love the makeup, the outfits, the attitude, the EVERYTHING and I feel like since I watched the women on the show feel empowered for their everyday lives, why can't I?!  I've been trying to come up with an outfit that's not so over-the-top and I've been looking up Kat Von D makeup tutorials since I feel like she seems to have a look you can reign in a little - but why would I, right?!  Do it big in 2014!

Do you have any plans for the wonderful year ahead?