Hello 2014: Reflection and Goals

Hello everyone! Since the last time I posted, I have gone through a lot of life changes. In a nutshell, the two last years have been crazy! I had so many job changes, moved to a new apartment, travelled, and a lot of other things that I'm excited to share. Before I eventually get to all of those, there is one thing that I wanted to talk about: What is the most important thing in your life?

credit: Carrie Loves

Over the past two years, without a doubt, the most important thing in my life was my job. I'm a hard worker. In fact, at my last job, I was a rockstar! I always take pride in any job that I do, especially if I do it well. The problem was that I was so focused on work, it was the only thing that I did. Graphics and Art is a very competitive and sometimes dispensable field. So its common for artists to do what it takes to keep your job. There were many times when I found myself without a job and aggressively looking. So when I finally land a gig, its all I would focus on because I never knew how long it would last.

There is no right or wrong answer here. At the time, my job was the most important thing to me since its what I worked so hard for. Eventually, being buried under all the work, I became lost. I put everything aside. My family, my boyfriend, my friends, my hobbies, my health… it got really bad. Hence the absence from my blog and a lot of other things that made me so happy.

I felt like a crappy person saying things like, "Sorry Mom I can't help, I have to stay extra late at work today". In the end I wonder, was staying at work late really that important? I didn't even get paid for the extra time I stayed there. I probably should've been there for my Mom instead. :(

Now that life has settled down a bit, I want to make up for lost time and get back into things that made me happy.

I missed…
blogging.
taking pictures.
having a little Etsy shop.
sharing cute stuff.
you.

So here is a list of stuff I hope to accomplish this year. Are you ready?

Goals in 2014

Read 25 Books: If you want to see what I'm currently reading, check me out on Goodreads.

Get fit: I want to complete an at-home fitness program like POP Pilates for Beginners.

Go vegetarian for a week: The key to my heart is a cheeseburger, but I am up for a challenge! To be honest, this one scares me!

Make French Macarons: A disaster waiting to happen! But wouldn't it be nice to have French Macarons whenever I wanted?!

Make a better effort in contacting and hanging out with friends / Possibly make new friends: No more corporate Sarah! Friends are important too!

Have more of an internet presence: I am pretty active on Twitter and Flickr, but I would like to make more blog posts. Hello blog!

Fill up a sketchbook: I've never been able to do this within a year! Challenge accepted!

Be a badass bass guitarist: Yes and yes!

I think that's a pretty respectable list! I know we're well into January already, but its never too late to start something. I'd really like to know if you have a goals list too :) Let's be awesome together!

Thanks for sticking around my blog! I'm looking forward to sharing more adventures!

Love,

Sarah

My Monster Trophy

Hi All!

I have been on an amazing roller coaster ride since the start of the year. My post about 2011 in review was kind of a downer because I was living in an unhappy place in my life. I made a difficult decision to leave my job. I had a bunch of things in the works but nothing definite lined up. I took two weeks to recover from a very exhausting year when I got an exciting phone call! I had gotten a job offer from an interview that I attended a few monthsago! It all happened so quickly. The next thing I knew, they put me on a plane to California for a week of training. Then I was sent back home to work in their NYC office! I finished my first few weeks and I really like it so far!

I have worked so hard and it has taken me years to finally find a job that I could be satisfied with. I bought myself a Monster High doll as a trophy to celebrate! I really wanted one because I think they are amazing toys, and also because its a nod to the industry that I'm in: The Fashion World!

I don't know any other toys that are as fashionable as Monster High! Voila! This is Frankie Stein. Isn't she amazing? I haven't really seen the TV show, but I love the toys. I've never seen anything like them. Frankie looks like an alien with her green skin. I love it!

This is what she looked like in the box. I was pretty impressed with the packaging. They had a lot of fancy things going on. There were a lot of shiny parts printed on it called "Spot UV". The slant on the front of box hides the stand and other things, like fasteners, that should be hidden. I'm mentioning this fancy-packaging-talk because that's what I do for my job. I manage packaging for fashion and apparel. Its not a creative position, but I still like it. I've worked as a packaging artist before, but its different being on the management side. I'm learning a lot of new things about packaging that I didn't know before.

I'm also meeting a lot of cool people and learning about business and the fashion world. Its new to me and a little intimidating at times. I feel a lot like the girl from the show "Ugly Betty". Just like the character, I'm weird and awkward. I stick out like a sore thumb with my shabby clothes when I'm around the fashion people. But hey, I am who I am and I still get the job done. Appearances be damned! Ok, I take that back...

I'm embracing the fashion community with open ears and open eyes because it can only help with a huge fashion project that I've been working on over the past couple of months. I'm in a different time in my life. I want to figure out my personal style and wardrobe that is relevant to who I am now. I know that appearances are important. I'd like to put more value in my appearance because when you look good, you feel good, and when you feel good its a huge confidence booster! This amazing new job can help me with a lot of my goals on so many levels. I'm really excited about it and whatever comes my way this year!

Maybe I secretly like cats

Its not a secret that me and cats don't get along. For years I have been at war with The Cats ever since They have infiltrated my backyard, leaving paths of destruction and poo in my garden, and also fornicating in the bushes. I also recently discovered that I'm mildly allergic to cats now! When I'm around one for too long, my mouth and tongue get puffy. That said, its been hard to warm up to any cats I've encountered.

I recently met what some have named a Miracle Kitten. She's a miracle in many ways! I am pleased to introduce you to Wiley Kit Kat, or Kit Kat for short.

Kit Kat was rescued about a month ago. She was probably wandering around for weeks and eventually got trapped in the garage where she was found, emaciated. We suspect that she was a runaway pet and not a stray simply because this tiny cutie just has such good manners. Believe me, I've met many strays and they don't have any manners at all!

Sean and Nat tried their best to find her original owners by posting Lost Notices at the vet's office, online, also in and around neighboring towns. In the meantime, they've been taking her to the vet and nursing her back to health. I'm happy to report that Kit Kat was cleared of any serious conditions with the vet and all she has to do is gain her weight back.  Eat, eat, eat! I'm sure she's ok with that job!

After the valiant efforts from my friends, they still weren't able to find her owners. And with all the care and attention they've given her, they got attached. Kit Kat now lives with my friend, Sean. She hasn't been there for very long and has already taken over the house!

We call her a miracle for surviving her terrible ordeal since Winter is starting to hit us hard. She also is somehow not triggering anyone's allergies (including mine!). And lastly, I've never heard of a cat that doesn't shed. Sean has a dark brown couch and there wasn't a trace of cat hair on it! Who knows if this is just a kitten thing, but heck, none of us are complaining!

She's a proper cat and sits like a lady. She liked me the first time she met me. Sean and Nat say that she's a social cat, but doesn't trust just anyone she meets. The best part about this cat is, you can make a fort out of pillows and right away she'll sit inside her "kingdom". I like that she poses for photos. Look how she neatly folds in her paws and tail! Awww!

So maybe... just maybe I'm warming up to them.

2011 in Photos

The year 2011 went by quickly! I look back at it as another transition year as I figure things out. I had so many projects that I wanted to do, but they were put on the back-burner because at the start of the year I was offered a full-time job! I spent most of the year working and saving money. Even though I was busy, I did have a few highlights that I'm excited to share with you:

I submitted my book to the Sketchbook Project 2011

I went on an annual Ski/Snowboarding Trip with really good friends!

I wasn't able to wear my Halloween costume for Halloween, so I wore it on the slopes instead! 

It was a big hit!

After reading Kitchen Princess, I was inspired and baked a lot of stuff!

The Great Cape May Escape!

A few weeks ago I mentioned that me and my bf took an impulsive miniature vacation. Both of us have been burned out by being at the lower portion of the corporate caste system. Ruts happen to everyone and it is not fun at all. So it was up to us to do something about it! It sort of went something like this:

Thursday Night:
Me: Let's go somewhere!
Him: But where? And when?
Me: I don't know... *sigh*

Friday Morning:
Him: I booked a hotel! We leave tonight!
Me: Yay!
Him: Yay!

And that's exactly what we did. After work, we drove a couple of hours into Cape May, a sleepy beach town at the southernmost tip of NJ. This was probably one of the best decisions we've ever made!







We stayed at the Victorian Motel. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but it was clean and comfortable. The staff was extremely friendly and there are a couple of lazy house cats that pretty much own the lobby. The location is only a couple of blocks from the beach!







My favorite meal of the trip had to be breakfast at the Mad Batter. The menu can be described as eclectic and indeed it was. They take modern twists to old time favorites like the Eggs Benedict topped with crabmeat and almond french toast. Mmm! That's my plate pictured on the right. I had the homemade chorizo with eggs topped with salsa and a side of fruit. 

Lusting after Lomography

(source)
I have been wanting to add a new camera to my collection lately. I love my trusty Canon Rebel XT but lately I have been feeling nostalgia for film cameras. Admittedly I have been late to the party when it comes to digital cameras. I clung to my film cameras because I feared that technology would phase them out. Sure enough, I was right. I tried my best to preserve the art form as long as I personally could. But when film developing places continued to dwindle in numbers, I knew that by default, it was time to join the digital age.

Happy Birthday Sarah! A Rock Climbing Adventure!

I celebrated my birthday recently. This year I wanted to do something special since the last couple of years were spent (while pleasant) rather lethargically. The year 2011 has been good to me so far. It was fitting to fill it with even more adventures: Rock Climbing!

I have fond memories of climbing a small rock wall when I was vacationing in Curaçao with my family. I wanted to try climbing again but New Jersey has never struck me (or anyone) as a mountainous location. To my surprise, there is a rock climbing gym in Fairfield, NJ which isn't that far away from me!

2010 in Photos

If I could describe 2010 in one word it would be bittersweet. There were way too many disappointments and let downs for me. The only thing I can do is learn from my experiences and accept it as another transition year. Deep down in my heart, I know that there are great things to come. I just have to keep my eyes open and listen a little closer for opportunities.

Its not healthy for me to to dwell on my shortcomings. Instead I will share the highlights of 2010

Baked lots of cupcakes
Ate lots of cupcakes


Made my 10,000 mile on my new car


Made a new friend

"Meat and Greet": NYC adventures with seekatiedraw

Sometime last week, my good friend and fellow illustrator, seekatiedraw, was in in town. I was really happy that she was able to hang out with me in the middle of her very busy schedule! We were chatting online on the morning of our day and it went something like this:

Katie: Hey sarah, wanna have lunch?
Me: Sure! Any ideas on what you want to have?
Katie: Not really.
Me: Wanna go for pound-of-meat sandwiches?!
Katie: THAT'S THE BEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!!

In about an hour we were both about to embark from our separate destinations on a quest for sandwiches. Gigantic sandwiches. I've seen gigantic sandwiches on a television show called Man vs. Food, and for months I have been obsessed with a particular one from the first episode.

Located in the quirky, lower east side of manhattan lies Katz Delicatessen but known simply as 'Katz' by the locals. Does this name sound familiar? It appears in a very famous scene of a very famous movie called When Harry Met Sally. And I'm sure you know which scene I'm talking about. Yep, the orgasm one. (I never thought I would ever have a reason to type the word 'orgasm' in my blog! Hey, now I wrote it twice!).

Katz has been around for more than a hundred years. It opened in 1888 to be exact. This means that the restaurant existed long before America had all 50 states. In addition, it survived two World Wars and the Great Depression. This is a testament that their recipes have withstood the test of time! I'm pretty sure there will be many more years to come. One bite out of their pastrami and you'll be convinced too. There is no doubt, you will taste perfection.


They had to fix the "1888" manually.
Photoshop didn't exist back then! oh noes!

M.I.A.

Hi Everyone! Its Tuesday! I'm sorry to say that I won't be able to do my weekly Top 5 Tuesday posting. My iMac died over the weekend and I'm having it repaired (its getting a new heart!). I won't be able to update, but I will be working on some cool and cute things offline! So hopefully next week, when I get my computer back, I can share my adventures.

p.s. I must mention that I am updating my blog via my Wii! Ah! Geekery at its finest.

Love to you all! I'll miss you.

-Sarah

Halloween Week Begins!

Halloween is my favorite holiday because everyone wins! You get to dress up and eat candy. There's no pressure to buy presents or any stress to have to decorate like how people freak out during Christmas. You can celebrate as big or as casual as you'd like. Halloween is the best!

A few weeks ago, my friends and I went to an orchard and country market! Lots of fresh 'pick your own fruit', homemade pies, and this huge pumpkin patch I took a snapshot of!



I'm not celebrating Halloween big this year because I am busy planning my super secret project for November. However, Halloween comes around once every year! I'd be a loser by not doing something. When I am not doing art, I am probably working on my second love which is cooking. So I decided to practice baking a pumpkin pie from scratch! I usually like to practice my recipes in advance to make sure it comes out right. I am so glad that I did because I learned a lot about pumpkins!

First of all, just like most fruits and vegetables, there are different kinds. I recently found out that there are different kinds of pumpkins and not all of them are good for pies. The Halloween pumpkins that we are familiar with are called Jack O' Lantern Pumpkins or Carving pumpkins. They are typically huge and oblong in shape. These are not suitable for eating. I read on the internet that the "meat" is too watery and not very flavorful.

The best kind of pumpkins to use are called "pie pumpkins". These are a lot rounder and perfect for baking or roasting. This is the pumpkin that I bought. In the store it was called a "sugar pumpkin" isn't that such a cute name? I later found out that "pie pumpkin" "sugar pumpkin" and "baking pumpkin" are all the same.



There is another variety that can be used called Cinderella Pumpkin. Another cute pumpkin name! Yep, you guessed right! Its named after the Cinderella fairytale. The part when the pumpkin magically turns into a coach so Cinderella can make it to the party! You can easily identify it because it is reddish-orange in color and looks a lot flatter than the pie pumpkin.

I roasted the pumpkin myself. It weighed about 5 lbs and it took almost an hour in the oven. I found the directions here


By itself, pumpkin tastes almost identical to butternut squash. I was disappointed by this and figured something out: Pumpkin pie tastes like a pie because of the spices and not because of the pumpkin. I think I felt just as disappointed as Cinderella when she discovered that her pumpkin lost its magic. No worries, I moved on.

This is the end result! The recipe I used calls for too much nutmeg! So it tasted too robust and almost bitter. I am quite pleased but I know it can be improved once I personalize my spice mixture. I'm glad that this was only for practice. I won't serve this to my family or friends until it is perfect.

I decided not to make a crust because I've always hated pie crust! The best part is the filling, but now I'm not sure if this can still be called a pie.

My pumpkin gave me so much filling that I was able to make these cupcakes too:

My cupcakes are sad because the recipe I used was too robust again! These cookbook chefs have got to take it easy on the spices! These cupcakes were practice also!

I still have more pumpkin filling! So the other day I made a carrot-pumpkin soup... but most of the liquid evaporated and now my soup is more like a mash. So its like mashed potatoes, except I didn't use potatoes.

And guess what! I have yet even more filling! I have enough to make another pie, more cupcakes, and maybe some cookies! Lesson learned: Buy a smaller pumpkin.I am not sick of pumpkins yet, but I really did bite off more than I can chew this time.

I don't have a costume yet. I am not sure if I'm going out this yer, but I'll settle for dark nails and wearing my collection of Halloween themed t-shirts this week.

Today I am wearing vintage Fraternity shirt circa 1979 that I found in a thrift store for a spooky Haunted House event!

There is still so much to do! I still need to watch a Halloween-themed movie! I might have to watch Mean Girls again because there's a really funny Halloween scene in it. And also a controversial movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas. Because it can still count as a Halloween movie... even if its about Christmas, right?

I have lots of things in my closet that can be turned into a costume if anything pops up last minute!

Let's make it a good week! Its a great week to be happy... or scared!

Secret Projects!

Hiya Guys!

I'm so sorry for the lack of posts. I've been busy preparing for something amazing! I can't tell you just yet, but I am shooting for the beginning of November. I'm a little disappointed that I might not be able to do this any sooner, but I was shooting for the stars when I started this project. I wish I could sew faster!

Last month I concentrated on learning something new which was painting. I'm still enthusiastic about it! I've read a ton of books and have been practicing color theory and brush strokes. Its been so long since I've painted, but it feels really good to go back to it. I'll have to put it down for this other project I am working on. I have a gazillion ideas and they are all trying to come out at once!

However, this month, I am concentrating on playing up my strengths. My secret project has something to do with sewing. I hinted on this on my Twitter, but kind of regret doing so. I have such a big mouth! But I promise you that it will be fun and cute!


This is what my work desk looks like. Its a mess of embroidery floss spaghetti. I love embroidery floss! It reminds me of being a kid because I used to make a lot of friendship bracelets. I was blown away that there are a ton of uses for these things and not just bracelets.


Mixed media... I was spray painting these buttons in my backyard.


I love browsing the internet for cute things. I found these darling rainbow owls on etsy. I saved the picture, but I didn't save the etsy shop :( and now I don't know where to find them... If you happen to know who this seller is, please let me know. He or she is really talented and I'd love to see more things from this person. I found the mystery etsy shop!! She put more owls up!! Ah!! And the pears are pretty cute too!


Having learned my lesson of not keeping track of the cute things... I remembered to jot down that I liked this funny banana necklace by Peach Block at www.sickforcute.com


My boyfriend sent me this strange image. I can't get it out of my head! I'm not sure if I like it or not, but it sure is funny/creepy/and strangely cute...

<3 Sarah

Bold and Beautiful

I got this article on my "How to of The Day" called: How to be Bold

Its a really cute read! I'm still on a positive route to change my life. And I have to tell you, its a lot of hard work. Its exciting and sometimes frustrating because some of the things seem impossible. Yes, it will be impossible if I don't do anything about it. I have decided on Monday that my life will be different. Its as simple as that.

I'm going to try my best at New York Comic Con!!! I have to get over my fears of being shy. For two years I've wanted to show work at this convention with the intention of asking artists and editors of what they think and any tips they can share. I would lug over my portfolio and then at the last minute I just shrink back into a corner. I wouldn't talk to anyone because I'm scared that I'm not good enough. The portfolio that I originally brought is outdated by now. I don't feel like I have enough samples, but I will show what I have to at least get some feedback. I can't let another year pass by so I will just go for it even if I don't feel like I'm ready.