// PAINTED HANDS

// Location: Textile Studio, Brooklyn, NY

My life the past week has been - well what feels like - non stop. I've been working at a textile design studio during the day, and getting all my freelance in when I get home around 8 pm [new york work hours]. I'm super excited to share with you some of the new projects I've been working on, but I can't do that for another two weeks or so. I have also been learning some kick ass print techniques. God I love creative people. Anyways, It's another cold cold day in New York. I miss summer time already. Happy Thursday peeps. x -C

// ALICE

// Alice Temperley - Fashion Designer 

This morning while flipping through instagram over coffee I found this photo. How cool is she? I do not look this cool when I design, I can tell you that fo sho. My Wednesday morning inspiration. Enjoy the day, and bundle up, it's chilly out there today! If you missed the horoscopes yesterday [yes I accidentally posted them a day too early] they are up! x -C

// 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