// GOOD MORNING

// Location: Studio 

This is what my mornings have looked like since back in NYC. Anyone else into Tarot cards? I bought mine a couple years ago, and just recently started using them. Freakishly they are most of the time spot on. I haven't given myself time to really learn how to read them properly, so I've been sticking to the boring past, present, future. Anyways, my present card told me to get outside and 'connect with nature'. Going for a walk in Central Park. Happy Friday! x -C

// SEE YA 2014

// RECAP: 

2014 was challenging. Anyone else? It was a year of choice for me. Do I stay, do I go - do I get up and get dressed even though my body is exhausted. I've learned - regardless of the outcome of the choice made, it's the reason behind making that choice that really means something - the driving force. It's like the saying, when you don't know what to choose flip a coin. Whether it lands on heads or tails - it doesn't matter, it's the outcome of the choice you secretly wished for when the coin was up in the air. 

How badly do you really want it? That's what Dan asked me one morning when I was almost in tears about how tired I was. It took me a while to pinpoint what 'it' was. A couple months to be honest. Was 'it' success? Was 'it' design? Was 'it' my huge dream that's out of this world super crazy? I have come to the conclusion that I don't really know what 'it' is. What I do know is that I love to create. And my passion to create has been my driving force for all of my hard choices of 2014, and life has rewarded me with such incredible experiences that I am extremely thankful for. 

All of the very influential photographers - artists - designers didn't design to have 100k followers on Instragram. They took photographs because they liked to take photos, and I believe this is the reason that has made them who they are today. It kept each incredible photographer original compared to the next incredible photographer. Michael Jackson didn't sing because he wanted to be 'Michael Jackson' one day, he was a man with incredible talent who needed to sing. Terry Richardson decided to take his camera out to a New York night club one night just for fun, way back when no one knew him, and took a rather racy photo of a lady sipping on her drink. He become known for it, obviously not over night. But eventually racy developed into his style. I personally love his work. 

My 2015 is going to be about taking more chances, growing, crafting and perfecting my work. I promise to stay original, I have never had a desire to fit in anyways. I am here to design. I know that now, and for that I am coming after 2015 like a 9 month old who has taken his/her first step. Slowly, but eager as hell to learn how to finally walk on my own. 

I hope you had an a lovely new year. Happy 2015! Oh, and to kick off the new year, new horoscopes are up!! x -C

// 2014

// Photo: Jose J. Martinez

Hello Monday. My morning has been spent on my couch, listening to the Lumineers while looking through my photos of 2014. I have a lot of things to get done, and yet this seemed to be the only thing my brain felt like doing. I've been collecting moments, and photos from 2014, preparing for my annual 'new year' post. I love doing them. Some years I did nothing but travel, I think one year I traveled to Europe three times. Then the next year end post had not one travel adventure on it, no exciting new projects, just a year filled with hard lessons and maturity. That was definitely my hardest year yet. It's healthy to look back and reflect I think. How else can you learn and grow without taking a moment to evaluate what the past year taught you, and what you want the next year to teach you.

I found a couple sketches from a while ago that I started drawing. Funny how those sketches are now inspiration for my new projects for 2015. I've been adding to them and editing them etc. 2014 has been up there with the a lot of learning and hard work stuff. Hopefully I've built some sort of base for myself that I can now start crafting and building my style. The hardest thing I've felt as a designer is trying to find my own style/voice in a world controlled by social networks. 

I bet you're wondering what that chicken is doing in my photo above. It's a little hint to my newest project for 2015. Anyways, here's a little sneak peak into my year end post. I'll have more up tomorrow x -C

// WEEKEND VIBES #2

Location: Portobello Road Market. London, England. 

It's funny, I look through some of these photos now and don't remember taking them. Maybe it's because they were taken so long ago. Christmas in New York is magical, but Christmas time in London is beautiful. I remember getting off the tube and walking to the markets while thinking, 'I hope I live in a city like this one day.' Like com'on look at how cute this market looks? Where else do you find a fresh flower market in the middle of winter. Anyways, just my weekend thoughts. x -C

// BINGO

// Christmas Day 

At around 6:15 pm my family and I pile into our cars and head to one of our favourite parties of the year, Christmas Eve dinner at my grandparents house. There is nothing I like more than homemade red wine, tracking Santa Claus, playing bingo, telling stories and then heading home giggling from the amount of homemade wine we drank. This year I have to admit, I drank a little more than I needed to. No headache Christmas morning though. Good for me. 

It felt so nice to take my camera out again. New York has stripped so much of my creativity away from constantly being on the go, my mind forgot what it was like to slow down. I slept the first two days home. I haven't been doing very much since. Laying around, ladies nights, getting in my car again and listening to music while sitting in traffic. Traffic, the one thing that I hated most pre New York, was so enjoyable. My sisters and I have been listening to a Serial Podcast on Adnan Syed's murder case. Adnan was a arrested in 1999 for the murder of his ex girlfriend. 15 years later, producer Sarah Koenig explores the case again. This time, it looks like she's been doing a better job than the police and investigators did at the time of the murder. She's starting to discover that some of the dots are not adding up.  Side note: In my next life, I'm coming back as a lawyer. Is Syed really guilty? I personally don't think he is. And neither does my sister [who is a criminal lawyer herself].

Anyway, here are a few photos from Christmas Eve bingo fun and Christmas day at our house. It's so nice to have little kids running around. Nothing makes Christmas more exciting than reliving the magic all over again from their eyes.