journey series: life updates, and seizing the day.

now i understand it's been a while.... february just zipped past my eyes. i can't believe its already march!
well here are some quick updates from my adventures in the land down under....

i'm moving from my current housing situation to shared housing that's closer to school. it was a really good deal, and decided to grab it right away. i actually just moved most of my stuff this morning, and i'm gonna be moving in officially on tuesday. new space, new environment. what a gypsy!

i think i'm learning a lot about decision making.
sometimes, we can't linger. sometimes, we have to decide right away.

and other times, we have to come to an abrupt stop.



because, otherwise, skipping breathers will make you feel all wound up, and next thing you know you'll feel like your life is caving in on you.

right now, i'm just about ready to tackle on anything that comes my way because opportunities like "australia" doesn't come in neatly wrapped packages for most of us. i made a choice and i'm determined to make the most of my time here.

colour conference is around the corner, just days away, and i'm pumped to be in the midst of all of this. it's a privilege to be in an event dedicated to encouraging and empowering women from all over the world. some of those who are coming from the other end of the world may be at the verge of jumping into an adventure and journey just like mine, and i want to be able to tell her to go for it, and that she's got an army behind her, and the path before her has already been carefully planned and all she's gotta do is seize it.

i'm so glad to be where i'm at. i'm moving to my first rental (even if it's shared, it's still a milestone!), i'm attending colour, classes are going great, and the best part about it is that i'm really able to assess where i stand in my faith and relationship with God, and i get to work on it every single day.

it's already march, next thing you know it'll be july, and then it'll be the end of the year. until the next day rolls on around, i'm gonna be living each day ... enjoying the journey.

journey series: a few days to go!

both to the new year, and the new beginning.

i've definitely been feeling a whole lot more different with the moving situation, etc. well, for one, i'm honestly getting a bit more emotional, but i don't like to admit that most cases, but i thought writing it out would help me in future instances.

then, second, i know people ultimately think that i'm never returning to LA, but cases are i still am-- one way or another. to collect the rest of my belongings to move to Oz, or to come back home...

i used to really dread the latter idea, but right now, things are all up in the air! so, who knows what could happen in a year. i wouldn't want to screw-up God's plans for me, and so i'm leaving that part open. there are still dreams that are down the list, and now that i'm nearing this next official step, i'm getting a boost of courage. getting reminded when all this was seeded and how i thought and believed that anything IS possible with God. i see it again. HE IS SO FAITHFUL.

despite the fact that i did get winded down by other things floating around the air, and the thought of "impossible" crept up every corner, and "worry" too!

and now, frankly, all i've left to worry about is whether i will get this packing done. i have three days left in LA. i never thought it'd pain me to say that. but for now, we'll say that i am simply going on a year long or so trip, and LA will surely see my ambivalent heart again.

i've still no camera, --feels a little liberating, and i wish i can say the same for the rest of my baggage! (pun INTENDED)

packing progress: 67% i'd say...

thanks for tuning in for this end of the journey. 'til 2012! hurrah for new chapters!

oh, and p.s. next year is a leap year!

the itenerary.

i'm excited.

in about a month:

manila for 5 days or so.
melbourne for a week and a few days.
then off to sydney.

deep breath.

(i'm not sure if i'll have a camera. but it'll be fun if i get to post pictures.)

you're almost there.

i wanna do something significant, doesn't necessarily have to be large in magnitude, nor does it have to be popular, just worth something good for someone else. and if i fail at this, i want my life to be explosive anyway; in failures.

whatever you're doing. whoever you are. keep on keeping on. there are late bloomers.
but don't worry...

you're. almost. there.

made it today.

"I'll pretend that it's no thing that's skipping my heart when I think
Of you thinking of me babe I'm crazy over you" - brooke fraser, sitw x flags

that's for the real desire of my heart: 2012.
(amongst others things, issues and such.)

for the rest of the year, i'm charging you in the face.
living with an amazing grace. (yea, that rhymes. so what.)
coz 2012 is the year of the dragon, and i'm claiming promise on my year.
2011, you were a tumble, a crazy season, a stretch and a learning period.
but,.. boy i'll be glad when you're done and over with.
august and september you've been a storm.

lesson learned: things turn out better when you're still.

Matthew 8:23-27 - Jesus Calms the Storm

 ²³ Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. ²⁴ Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. ²⁵ The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”  ²⁶ He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
 ²⁷ The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Psalms 46:10

¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
   I will be exalted among the nations,
   I will be exalted in the earth.”

picking up the pieces and moving on, wherever He leads. I will surely follow.
even if it's tough as nails, i'm holding on.

the joy of the last spare minute of your battery life.

that could almost be something, a line, lyric of a song...

today. i think i passed another phase of the application process to the first dream i think i might ever be completely.. wait, no-- at least 98% sure of. i find that there is no certainty in this life, except in the one thing that only eyes of faith could see. you know who i'm talking about,...  this guy: Jesus.

so anyway, i can't express enough of the burden that's been lifted off of my shoulders. there's no knowing what'll happen when i submit the golden ticket to be reviewed over on the southeast side of the pacific. but here's to another day; blessed and conquered.

God is so good! And He will make a way.

Here's to the future and this week.

stuff.

i think we simply learn to roll with it.

LIFE.

it never happens the way we plan it. glad i'm learning to accept that.

here we go 'round again.

for this past week, i did little design exercises. made one for each day of the week from monday, (except i think i skipped tuesday!)...  and the week culminates with these little cuties i made for our little fashfash blog: everybody look left!

winter icon for everybody look left's twitter??? ... and icon for everything else.

made a banner for everybody look left!

drawing a blank.

like said, just trying to continue with some typography practice.

strawberry lolly.

did another little graphic design exercise.
little phrase & typography, yours truly.
looks yummy to me. what do you think?

paperchase.

made by yours truly for everybody.look.left -- that blog is starting up, we've also got a twitter @evrybdylookleft, and setting up a facebook acct soon. pretty excited!

working hard, or hardly working?

seems like i;ve got nothing much to post about anything i'm working on lately. literally on the move, and am only able to steal time to work on bits of stuff as soon as i hit somebody's sofa, or well, as today, get to sit in the truck while my dad and his buddy load up things that need to be moved, and that i don't have to deal with (thank god).

since the new year, i have been feeling hurried, like i'm on a crazy clock, and suddenly, i realize how many things i have to do in the next couple weeks. i'm trying to keep myself sane though. i think i need to vent and just write thoughts and ideas down in my personal journal, but like said, haven't really had time to do that as well... my notebooks and etceteras are buried under deep down a pile of belongings in the back seat, and i'm not feeling too adventurous to rummage back there.

working a bit on everybodylookleft blog/studio! that's fun, at least!
also "working" and getting thoughts and ideas together for todaywestart-- i figured it's a little tough to start from scratch so i might just be tweaking items here and there. huhhh.....
also starting to dabble a little into making these little graphic banners. think i'll make some time and share with you guys (i did the one for everybodylookleft, just a quick one to make as a first post)!

making progress.

just a quick one before my tuesday sets off...
a little bit of olive from my fascinations & inspirations.
been making progress on that blog design, here's to hoping it makes the launch soon!

christmas and crafts

  

From top to bottom--
(1) Japanese Stab Bind with a little experimentation.
(2) JSB notepad [made from scrap paper and scrapbook decoration sheet]
(3) Art/Craft Box [made with rice(?) paper from Hiromi (?) Santa Monica, and art paper from Otis Lab Press]
(4) Art/Craft Box display dos!
(5) Holiday tags from scrap paper that is superdeedooper old!
(6) Zoomed in watercolor painting from today :)
(7) Felt like doing a little watercolor today... so I did. Pretty fun!
(8) Mini glitter oxfords, sorta--
(9) Polka-dot beanie
(10) Then I attached them to some stuff I gift wrapped today.

Homemade crafts--

Enjoy.

for the people trying to catch a ride on the momentum train.

"What’s important is to find some movement. But maybe that depends. Because sometimes it’s good to stop as well. Well… Yeah…"
-Garance Dore, from her "first times" series post




 
and, other stuff in my week, crafts progress, goodwill finds, and brooke fraser show, to come soon!

giddy.

i didn't get to do much today, but i did dabble here and there with my inDesign (after ages of using the program!!). was playing around with possible etceteras for the blog design. since i've got nothing better to share today, here's something i kinda just played around with before deciding to call it a night--

*not the best image quality, i know--sorry!

back-to-work, beads friday.

no black friday for me. never was my thing to shop amongst a crowd of people, and to stand in line for ages to buy probably something that i'll wear once or twice in my life. nope, not the girl for that.

so instead of spending this lovely morn and afternoon getting pissy about how long the lines are or how i can't find a spot at the next car park... i've caught up with my primetime comedy shows on hulu, and now like a granny, i'm picking up my craft tools and getting back-to-work on my cutesy boxes, and! gonna get started on stringing these beads for...??, who knows what, but i want to make use of them-- so we'll see what i end up making today!

crafties.

this is my first clamshell box and journal project from over a year ago! i made this one at otis. (excuse the cut on the journal, my bone-folder was too sharp and sliced my beautiful journal's side spine!)

i decided to give it a shot, and try making one on my own, i'm almost done with it-- but this is what i had early morning. 

i attempted making engravings shown on the journal above (leaf cut), but i wasnt too successful because i forgot to put glue on the cardboard end! hmmm....

these are two of the boxes i finished constructing from scrap cardboard i wanted to get rid of. they're still waiting to be covered!

i'm getting a lot better at making these boxes, and i'm a little disappointed with the glitches i make on each one. so far i've made five, but i'm thinking of keeping these slightly imperfect ones-- i really hope to start selling my little crafty paintings, and of course these boxes on etsy. what do you think?? interested?

posties.

forgetting a lot of things lately, very scatterbrained at the moment.

and i just remembered too, that i was supposed to post fashfash pictures from last month's photoshoot, and i still haven't done so! hmm. let's see what i get to start and, or finish today, and i will update my posts. updates to come!

i'll leave you with my craft idea for the day:

fini!

before and after--

one craft box done-- it's not perfect, but i'm proud! now off to make the little knick-knacks, or possible zines, journals, or postcards, or paintings, or cards of sorts to put inside it! :)