with love

this week+ turned into a month - i can hardly believe the time has gone by so quickly.

i could go on for hours about how amazing it has been to keep up this blog. it's a constant source of inspiration, a great way to get in touch with new people, a sounding board, an outlet, my baby, my collection, my voice. even though this blog is all of those things, this last month has not been a void.

there are changes abound - a new job, a new project, & hopes of building my community here in seattle. for now, i hit the pause button on still dottie adventures.

with love.

image via paper pony.

On Vacation

i'm signing off for the next week plus. take care & enjoy the sun.

image via janvon holleben.

UPDATE: i'm shaking things up in the real world - it looks like my week plus may turn into a month of still dottie absence. stay in touch at iva jean & vi.sualize.us.

subjective

subjective - belonging to, proceeding from, or relating to the mind of the thinking subject and not the nature of the object being considered.

an adjective i am all too familiar with.

photo via another mag.

aspire

while discussing an upcoming project, a friend used the phrase, "something to aspire to." the word is something i think of most days since then.

to hope or dream; to have an ambitious plan or a lofty goal. to have a great ambition or ultimate goal; desire strongly.

to soar.

image via dawn ng.

Women

Women

My three sisters are sitting

on rocks of black obsidian.

For the first time, in this light, I can see who they are.

My first sister is sewing her costume for the procession.

She is going as the Transparent lady

and all her nerves will be visible.

My second sister is also sewing,

at the seam over her heart which has never healed entirely

At last, she hopes, this tightness in her chest will ease.

My third sister is gazing

at a dark-red crust spreading westward far out on the sea.

Her stockings are torn, but she is beautiful.

-Adrienne Rich

thanks for my love kacey for sharing.

handmade days - do this

diy sparkle bra. love it - do it.

i'm sorry for a less traditional handmade days, but i'm feeling nutty (blame it on the 1/3 cup of coffee i drank 3 hours ago) & it's funny, right?! also, i can't remember who to credit, if you know, let me know.

not today

there's just too much going on. image via iroas929.

craft is a starting place

i stumbled upon this fantastic quote from british ceramic artist, edmund de waal today, via evilin kasikov.

"craft is a starting place, a set of possibilities.
it avoids absolutes, certainties, over-robust definitions, solace.
if offers places, interstices, where object and people meet.
it is unstable, contingent.
it is about experience.
it is about desire.
it can be beautiful."

2010 to do list

it's that time of year where i take a few to reflect on the last year & look forward to the next. i'm still convinced that i'll never be someone with a five year plan & i definitely don't believe in setting deadlines for ourselves (age ain't nothin' but a number & you never know where life will take you). however, every year i like to make a list of things i hope to accomplish or at least take a stab at. 2010 is no different, so here goes - some are just smile makers & others are more substantial.

take time for more self reflection & goal setting. i was thinking of taking time once a month to look back on what i've accomplished within that month, what i'm grateful for or proud of, as well as what i hope to accomplish in the next month.

scale back spending. i started using mint which i love - now it's time to look at that savings account & pick something to save for. my europe trip was such a motivator to pass up an anthropologie shopping trip.

quality and second-hand purchases. i've done this for a while now, but i'd like to put this out there to build a stronger commitment. from clothes to furniture & craft supplies to household goods i'd like to make sure that everything i do decide to spend my money on will last for a long time or have been lightly used before. it's my tiny effort to be a more modest consumer.

up my baking skills. bread, pastries, cakes - i'd love to become a more proficient baker.

become a better snowboarder. i must get over this fear of speed & i'm thinking that working on my technical riding skills through practice, possible instruction & finally deciding to get a helmet i can do it.

read more. i don't read that often. i'm not just talking books - i mean articles, blog posts too - i'm a scanner if there ever was one. ohhh what a pretty picture. my brain is shrinking.

paint my nails more often. i love my berry nails today even though they are chipped - bright colored nails make me smile.

rededicate myself to my profession, bring new energy to my job & continue to learn. this shouldn't be too hard, just a matter of doing it. i'm also hoping to get 2-3 hours of lynda training every week to become a better designer.

get iva jean rides off the ground. that's all i have to say about it other than if you are a seamstress in the seattle area & feel like taking on a side project - shoot me an email.

play with watercolor. i'd love to take a class, but maybe in the spring. until then i'm hoping to pick up some paper, brushes & paints to play with.

dance more. in my living room, in the streets & with my friends.

happy holidays & all the best in 2010

i'm out of here until 2010 - my first post will be january 4. i hope you all have a much needed time of reflection & celebration with family & friends. until then.

image via olivia bee.

fashion blitz - perspective

our huge walk-in closet (along with our entire apartment) could have gone up in smoke last night - but thanks to my man's good sniffer and the seattle fire department, we made out with little to no property damage. i mean, we do have a huge hole in the ceiling of our closet, plaster all over the floors, and the contents of the closet all over our apartment.

a fuse had blown in our apartment, but in a weird way. it fizzled & popped - scary! after tripping it back to no luck we started investigating. bart went into the walk-in & smelled something burning (he's got a cold, how did he smell it?). we looked up & saw embers burning above our light fixture; our property manager was with us at this point too. after that we immediately called 911 & the fire department was there in about 3 minutes. there was a lot of commotion, but they were fantastic (look out capitol hill dept - you're getting cookies, lots of them). turns out the wiring had started a fire in the attic above our ceiling, & another 5-10 minutes without a call would have put our entire unit (maybe even top floor) in flames. we are so lucky & we've been feeling that way all day.

here is the point i'm trying to make...

amidst all of this, i never thought to grab any clothing to rescue. it puts perspective on what really matters. so next time you want to drop $100 on that sassy jacket - call up someone you love & get some good food.

a much needed break

this weekend's trip to manhattan followed by a big deadline at work may cause delays in blogging. i'll let you know.

image via maditi.

losing numbers

i know this post is off topic, but i can't help it.

there were a lot of things on my 2009 to do list, but one task was really important to me & i'm happy to say that i can cross it off! this morning i was brave enough to step on the scale & was pleasantly surprised to see that i lost 11 lbs since january. seriously, i'm flipping my shit.

i hadn't gained weight since i was 19, when i decided to take the extra lbs off for good. in november, when i realized that i was 10 lbs heavier than my original goal weight set so many years back, i was really disappointed. i had ignored the fact that so many of my outfits were just too tight or off limits completely. after many failed efforts, i listened to bart & saw a trainer. she gave me simple tasks that i know firmly believe in: cut calories (no matter how hard you work out, you sit at a desk allllll day), keep a food & exercise journal, drink a lot of water, cut or reduce simple carbs after lunch, interval training, strength training & keep intensity in each workout.

i (as many women & men often do) struggle with weight - keeping it off, placing too much value on it, fantasizing about being thin, working at accepting my body, balancing health & vanity, etc - but i have always tried to be as healthy as i can with weight loss. my time at the gym or exercising outdoors is mine to think & reflect about what is important. my efforts with eating are for me to make conscious decisions about what my body needs. for all of you trying to lose weight or get into the stack of jeans that no longer fit & for those of you who are just trying to be healthier or more active - good luck & remember to be good to your body, even if that means eating marshmallows & ice cream.

image from guy aroch on photographers limited editions.

found goodness

ohhh man, i found a lot this weekend. it seemed to be one of those weekends where you only find yourself relaxing is for that short bit, right when you wake up to the sun shining in your bedroom window. alongside food, drink, emerald city comiccon & bellydancing at the mohai; bart & i had dedicated our weekend to finding an apartment. we spent 6 hours on saturday canvassing capitol hill for the perfect spot. it was wildly unsuccessful, including a viewing of what could be nothing else than a 400 square foot set for trainspotting, ground floor right here in seattle, renting for $1125 (really?!). it seemed hopeless, but a pleasant viewing sunday morning led us to our new place! hurray, we found an apartment! with a weight off our shoulders bart & i headed down to visit some friends showing at the comicon & i took a short detour to pick up a dress for the chicago wedding. once i hiked back up the hill, i decided that it would be a shame to see this beautiful sunny seattle weekend pass without a bike ride. i took her out for a nice, casual 2 hour ride up to the uw to see the cherry blossoms, views of rainier & a gazillion people taking pics. after that it was west on the burke gilman & back home through downtown. so there we have it, a productive weekend in beautiful seattle.

this day

today is the type of day when you'd rather be anywhere but where you are; rain & snow met with deadlines & tedious work. i was going to write a long vent about life & its troubles, but the facts are that i have a job, i'm leaving on a 5 week sabatical at the end of may & i'm surrounded by people that i love. so there, no empty egg crates for me.

image by laurie frankel (amazing portfolio) found via pinkshirtsandcarwrecks.

new glasses - finally

i got new glasses, i want to put them on my face this instant. i really wanted something translucent & either in a warm grey or brown, these ones fit the bill.

not enough time in the day, week, month

do you remember those carousels on playgrounds; the ones that make you sort of nauseous but are really fun? quite honestly, january has felt a bit like that. it seems as though i'm the one spinning it & is going much faster than i can run.

i can't even place why it's felt hectic, all i know is that i'm ready for february. don't get me wrong, jan was lovely - filled with midwestern travel, birthdays, volunteering with sos & riding with the ladies from sgs, looking for apartments, pushing hard in the gym & seeing results, learning about my new camera & spending time with friends. ok, sounds like i do know why it's been so hectic. even so, i'm ready to get my after work life back on track, to the point where i can recall what i did the week before & cross some goodies off my to do list.

i'd also like to find a way to continue the good stuff coming on still dottie; quite honestly, i've been slacking. i just hate to post stuff i don't love & right now, my love has been off the internet.

bear with me. i'll try to catch up & hop on the carousel.

photo by manyfires.

add it to the blogroll

i'm going to post my adds as i find them, no more weekly posts just cause it's tuesday. i just want to avoid adding something for the sake of a weekly feature; i always want to post it because it truly is added to my blogroll.

any ideas on a new weekly feature? style, fashion, graphic design, logo love, tutorial links, etc?

heading to the cold cold interior

i'm taking friday & monday off. "why?" you ask. "but to head to the midwest for winter love, of course." i say. see you all soon!

image from drop focus.

2009 to do list

here we are, another year passed, another one under our feet. it's been an interesting one. i've seen many friends leave seattle & america, some indefinitely; i miss them all terribley but know that they are living out their dreams, taking next steps in their lives & seeking adventure. amongst departure, there have been several arrivals. i've made invaluable connections & friendships this past year; i owe big ups to elaine in dc for most of these (we pour some out for you). i've also made wonderful friendships through this very venue, finding endless inspiration & advice from other bloggers & artists. it'd be wrong not to give a shout out to another wonderful year with my man, a constant source of support, love & encouragment - love love. i feel blessed to have had a year filled with wonderful people & friendships, lots of design & craft projects, the discovery of good music, food & film, solid work & a new president-elect with a optimistic look on america. cheers to 2008 with hope & excitement for 2009!

a new year is a new moleskin planner, with lots of empty pages waiting to be filled with notes on life & things to do. after a wonderful 2008, i am proud to say that last year's list left only one item unchecked - a trip to europe (only to be added & crossed off in 2009); this year's list is a little shorter, but filled with ambition.

the standard lose 10lbs, tone up - i am slowly inching my way out of every pair of jeans i own, must stop now!

visit a new exhibit once a month, aiming for new galleries.

show at i heart rummage - cheater, i had set up for dec 21 but it got cancelled, i'm all ready & raring for this one.

organize & plan a diy night at faire gallery & cafe.

try a new recipe 2x a month.

discover more - visit other neighborhoods, towns, shops & restaurants. canon beach & the olympics a must.

up the frequency of freelancing work - identity, posters, postcards

visit europe - stockholm, copenhagen, germany & london.

start & finish one large, involved art project - maybe a short book or magazine, large wall hanging, series of posters/prints, notecard collection.

UPDATE:
learn how to use my lovely compact nikon, take a stab at styling.