Jennifer

August in Review

09/01/2014 by Jennifer 1 Comment

Good morning and Happy September! I’m trying to remain calm and remind myself that every single month goes by this fast. It’s not like I’m losing my mind or anything. Right? Yesterday was a little rainy. I had been holding my breath about gloomy Portland weather since I moved here, but it was actually pretty dreamy. I love cozy rainy days. Not sure I’ll be saying that once winter begins, but I’m saying it now.

Let’s back up though! August was so good to me. It was a month of growth and change and progress and all of those cheesy motivational-type words. Regardless of whether a month is particularly good or bad, if I learn lessons and experience growth then I’m thankful for that month.

1. Last month, I created a special Reader Survey to give me some insight into what you guys appreciate about blogs, style, and the online world. It was so helpful! As I vaguely said in that post, I’m working on something new and I can’t wait to share it hopefully later this month. If you haven’t taken the survey yet, please do!

2. Colorful work supplies are my jam, and I truly believe that for some people (me!) they make can make a work experience more positive. Good vibes can definitely come in the form of cute office supplies. I believe it with all of my heart.

3. In this post, I shared three personal things I like to remember as a blogger. Keeping these things in mind has helped me gain confidence in my work and in what I’m passionate about.

4. Even though I cook for one, I buy dish ware for 10 (look, I might have friends over or something…). On this fine afternoon, I justified my hoarding by giving my craft supplies a home in some of these kitchen items.

5. Speaking of cooking for one, I wrote a little something about living alone. Also, these dahlias.

6. I shared my undying love for RadLab, my favorite photo editor of all time. Check out the post! There’s a discount code at the end and it’s only valid for two more days.

7. This embroidered hexagon clock is one of my best vintage finds. See my other recent PDX vintage goodies here.

8. Shared this tutorial on how to create gold leaf hand lettering! This was so much fun.

9. Lastly, I got my DIY groove back by making these clay hexagon magnets. I love how they turned out and the crazy bee lady inside of me wants to make a hundred more to cover my entire fridge.

Now that September is here, I have three main goals: To finish my biggest new project. To decorate my studio (it’s messy and “cute” but it needs more class!). And to spend more time in nature. I’m lucky to have friends here who are very outdoorsy. I live and work in the city, so I need to make sure I find time to be around trees and breathe in that fresh, beautiful northwest air. :)

Hope you all loved August and have an even better September!

Happy Birthday, Sisters!

08/28/2014 by Jennifer 3 Comments

Ten days ago, my little sister Danali turned 9. Today, Adalin turns 11. These are two brilliant young people that I could talk about for days on end. A few fun facts: Danali collects snow globes and music boxes and every time I see her, she’s wearing a shirt with a cat on it. Adalin learned how to crochet when she was seven. Sometimes she suggests complex words that I could be using to expand my vocabulary. Both of them are the kindest most empathetic girls I know.

I grew up thinking I would always be an only child and then ta-da! These two came around. I’m so, so thankful for them every day. :) Happy Birthday, my favorite sisters. I can’t wait to see you soon!

Photo was taken with my phone but made a little cooler with RadLab. Use the code “HARDWICK” to get 15% your purchase of Totally Rad photo editing products! Offer ends Wednesday, Sept 3rd.

The Best of Swedish Clogs

08/27/2014 by Jennifer 4 Comments

I think most of us can agree that Swedish Hasbeens are maybe the cutest shoes that have ever walked the earth. But I’ve been finding there are many more brands of Swedish clogs that are equally as good lookin’. I really hope to score a pair of affordable ones before the year is over. I love that they look cute throughout all four seasons. Theses beauties have a special way of making sandals with socks acceptable. (Yeah, I went there!)

(top left to right)

I am smitten. Are you into wooden shoes? Whenever I say “wooden shoes”, I think of When the Stars go Blue by Ryan Adams (or um, Haley from One Tree Hill).

Have a nice Wednesday! And let me know if you have any other clog store recommendations. :)

When More is More: 5 Non-Minimal Blog Designs

08/26/2014 by Jennifer 7 Comments

Minimal or “flat” design is a strong, contagious trend in the blog community. I could list a hundred reasons why I think it’s a good idea. A minimal blog design keeps things clean and simple. It lets your content shine. It is easier to navigate. It’s professional. And so forth.

But when something becomes really over-the-top trendy, it causes us to look at opposite trends with new eyes. With the rise of minimal blog designs, colorful and complex layouts are catching my attention more and more. I think it takes a whole lot of talent to create something that is bright and detailed, yet cohesive and well-branded. I decided to round up a few non-minimal blog designs that I think are amazingly well-done.

1. Wish Wish Wish

2. A Beautiful Mess

3. Maiedae

4. Bright.Baazar

5. The Beauty Department

What do you think of these designs? Do you like the addition of crafty touches in websites and blogs, or are you more of a minimalist?

Featured Interview at If Found, Make.

08/23/2014 by Jennifer 2 Comments

Hi friends! Yesterday, my friend Angela at If Found, Make shared an interview with me for her new Q&A series! She and I both have very similar goals and ideas as bloggers and it has been wonderful to connect over our shared interests. Check out the interview here and then go take a look around the rest of Angela’s blog. She has such a great appreciation for the creative process behind blogging and handcrafting.

Hope this weekend is good to you. :)

ps. Happy, happy birthday to my mom who I love and miss so much!!

How to Edit Photos with RadLab + a Discount Code!

08/20/2014 by Jennifer 2 Comments

Today I want to share a little piece of magic with you. It’s called RadLab. You have probably noticed that there are thousands of Photoshop plugins, actions, and presets available to purchase and download. Out of all the photo-editing methods I’ve tried, I have found this Photoshop plugin by Totally Rad to be the most fantastic one. I have been using RadLab consistently for the past two years and it has made my photo editing process all the more fun and exciting.

RadLab isn’t an “action”, it’s a Photoshop filter plugin. It is advertised as being simpler, quicker, and more customizable than actions. I couldn’t agree with that more. Here’s a basic rundown of how it works:

After you’ve downloaded RadLab (take advantage of the free trial!), open up a photo in Photoshop. This plugin works just fine with Photoshop Elements, too.

In your main menu, select Filter > Totally Rad > RadLab. You’ll see that RadLab is full of “stylets” which can be controlled and customized to produce different effects. Together, the stylets you choose will make up a “recipe”, which can be saved and used in the future.

When I edit my photos with RadLab, I almost always use the “Lights On”, “Oh Snap!”, and “Claire-ify” tools at varying levels. If I’m feeling adventurous, I will experiment with different filters. Looking at the filters in the screenshot above, you might think some of them are too intense for natural-looking photographs. The beauty of RadLab is that you have complete control over the intensity of each filter. While editing this photo of Sara, I thought I would stop after my usual routine, but I ended up finding that a couple of the bolder filters (at low levels) made the photo look a little more whimsical and summery. Below, you can see a split before/after comparison of the photo. “Butter Pecan” and “Fuzzy Navel” did nice work! Oh and did I mention that all of the stylets have really awesome names? They do. :)

Being able to save combined stylets as recipes provides helpful consistency when I’m editing a handful of photos from the same location. It also just makes the photo-editing experience more unique! No one is going to say, “Oh hey, I see you used the ‘_______’ filter.” You can make one of a kind recipes, save them, share them, and use them again.

Do you use RadLab, or any other Totally Rad products? I love that they offer such a range of photo editing resources. Maybe I’ll share my specific recipes from time to time!

ps. Totally Rad is offering Earl Grey readers 15% off of any purchase for the next two weeks (until September 3rd). Use the code “HARDWICK” to apply the coupon. :)