Check out http://www.forgottenchicago.com/ and find out the background on all of the amazing artifacts adorning my high school, good old St. Ignatius. Go Wolfpack. Also, find out some cool and interesting facts about architecture in Chicago.Friday, March 13, 2009
http://forgottenchicago.com/features/chicago-architecture/st-ignatius-architectural-ornament-graveyard/
Check out http://www.forgottenchicago.com/ and find out the background on all of the amazing artifacts adorning my high school, good old St. Ignatius. Go Wolfpack. Also, find out some cool and interesting facts about architecture in Chicago.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Brad in the City
Hello all. Yes, I've dropped the ball on my blog for the past few months. The holidays and getting laid off and then rehired in a new (and WAY better) position at work are the culprits conspiring together to steal my time. But, this year it is a whole new Margey and I am only taking one class this semester and focusing on my art, friends, boyfriend, family, new job and (gasp) myself. The above work is a commissioned painting that my coworker asked me to do after he saw my work at Imagine (he bought the pink lady painting.) It was really fun to do this for him and I was pleased with how it turned out. I was even more pleased when I saw how excited he was when he got it and that he told me he was going to spread the word to his friends. Yay. Enjoy :)
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Speaking of nontraditional materials. . .
Check out this article on the "scrap house" on Dwell's website, http://www.dwell.com/homes/green/33933454.html
I love it when materials are used in non-traditional ways in interior spaces! These tile walls blew me away. I absolutely love them! I know this space is very modern, but the graceful curves of the chandelier warm up the space and add elegance. Wow.Monday, November 10, 2008
http://www.aiweiwei.com/html/works.htm
The only room I've ever seen that has more bikes than Sean's Room.Saturday, November 8, 2008
Provocative photo from Todd Selby
I want this hat and dress and check out the candle wax waterfall in the background!The Imperfect Hello has been completed
Quote my friend, "I love you. I'm so glad you called."
I'm going to be doing this more often.
I'm going to be doing this more often.
The Imperfect Hello
This was a blog written by Christine Kane on her blog, http://www.christinekane.com/blog. She is very inspirational and has many great insights to share. Please take a moment to visit her site. For anyone who is creative, she is a voice of wisdom.
I especially appreciated the following blog and wanted to share it with all of you. It's ironic that I read this today of all days because I was just thinking earlier about how I think that it is actually my perfectionist tendencies that help me maintain my all A streak in design school, NOT necessarily my creativity. It's this same search for creative perfection that causes weekly freak-outs, loss of sleep, and most DEFINITELY (and detrimentally) my disconnection with my friends and my own thoughts. I have really tried to examine these tendencies lately and mitigate my desire to succeed in a creative environment AND have a fulfilling and wonderfully diverse life. I am really trying here, friends and family. I swear! I even told Sean to help keep me in check.
I am really going to try to incorporate imperfect hellos into my life. As a matter of fact, I am going to make one now. I am going to call my friend who moved to Chicago six months ago who I haven't even seen and who I hold very dear to my heart. (You know who you are--and you're just about to get a phone call from me).
Do you ever have those times when you’re just plain really busy?
I do.
In fact, I’ve been there a lot lately with all the shifts and changes happening in my career, and all the shows and speaking I’ve done lately.
Now, here’s the thing about me.
I can be in one of these busy places, and yet I’ll find myself spending a good 30 minutes scrubbing the kitchen faucet with an old toothbrush or something inane like that.
Enter The Drill Sergeant.
There’s this little perfectionist Drill Sergeant in me that tries to keep everything on task and doesn’t want anything to go wrong. She knows that I’m such an “in-the-moment” person that it’s very easy for me to wander off on little activity tangents that often involve scrubbing things with old toothbrushes.
The Drill Sergeant means well, but she can get a little power-hungry…
“You have to leave for Albany tomorrow,” she barks. “You don’t have time to write that email!”
“No you can’t go out for lunch tomorrow! You have a phone meeting to prepare for!”
These busy times don’t last forever, of course. But when I have them, it’s important that I do stay focused and on-task, so I don’t mind a little help from the Drill Sergeant.
One day when I was in such a busy state, I thought of my friend Kathy. I thought of how we hadn’t really talked in a few weeks. I wondered what was going on, how her house sale was going, and how her law school applications were coming along.
I was just about to grab the phone to call her and say hi when I heard the Drill Sergeant remind me of my schedule.
She was right.
I had a flight the very next day, and a meeting with my accountant that afternoon.
So, I created a compromise.
I called Kathy.
When she picked up I said, “This is officially an Imperfect Hello. I know we have a million things to catch up on, and that if I were truly a good friend, I’d set aside an hour for catching up. I don’t have an hour. But I was thinking of you. And I’d rather say hello imperfectly than not say hello at all.”
Kathy knows me well, and she has several of her own perfection-seeking Drill Sergeants in her head.
She burst out laughing, and said, “Well, I’m so glad you opted for imperfection!”
We talked for about 3 minutes, and we both hung up smiling.
I’m writing this post today for two reasons:
The first reason is that many of you have your own busy lives. I know it’s easy to put people aside because you’re holding out for a more “perfect” version of yourself, or for a few unscheduled hours of free time when you can really catch up.
This is your official permission to not be perfect.
Try the Imperfect Hello some time. I’ve used it a lot in these past two months. It keeps you connected, it allows you to stay focused, and it builds your courage, too. (Besides, most people love the idea and will start using it themselves!)
The second reason is that I’m home this week catching up after two months of nearly constant traveling, and this is - as you might have guessed - an “Imperfect Blog post.”
I especially appreciated the following blog and wanted to share it with all of you. It's ironic that I read this today of all days because I was just thinking earlier about how I think that it is actually my perfectionist tendencies that help me maintain my all A streak in design school, NOT necessarily my creativity. It's this same search for creative perfection that causes weekly freak-outs, loss of sleep, and most DEFINITELY (and detrimentally) my disconnection with my friends and my own thoughts. I have really tried to examine these tendencies lately and mitigate my desire to succeed in a creative environment AND have a fulfilling and wonderfully diverse life. I am really trying here, friends and family. I swear! I even told Sean to help keep me in check.
I am really going to try to incorporate imperfect hellos into my life. As a matter of fact, I am going to make one now. I am going to call my friend who moved to Chicago six months ago who I haven't even seen and who I hold very dear to my heart. (You know who you are--and you're just about to get a phone call from me).
Do you ever have those times when you’re just plain really busy?
I do.
In fact, I’ve been there a lot lately with all the shifts and changes happening in my career, and all the shows and speaking I’ve done lately.
Now, here’s the thing about me.
I can be in one of these busy places, and yet I’ll find myself spending a good 30 minutes scrubbing the kitchen faucet with an old toothbrush or something inane like that.
Enter The Drill Sergeant.
There’s this little perfectionist Drill Sergeant in me that tries to keep everything on task and doesn’t want anything to go wrong. She knows that I’m such an “in-the-moment” person that it’s very easy for me to wander off on little activity tangents that often involve scrubbing things with old toothbrushes.
The Drill Sergeant means well, but she can get a little power-hungry…
“You have to leave for Albany tomorrow,” she barks. “You don’t have time to write that email!”
“No you can’t go out for lunch tomorrow! You have a phone meeting to prepare for!”
These busy times don’t last forever, of course. But when I have them, it’s important that I do stay focused and on-task, so I don’t mind a little help from the Drill Sergeant.
One day when I was in such a busy state, I thought of my friend Kathy. I thought of how we hadn’t really talked in a few weeks. I wondered what was going on, how her house sale was going, and how her law school applications were coming along.
I was just about to grab the phone to call her and say hi when I heard the Drill Sergeant remind me of my schedule.
She was right.
I had a flight the very next day, and a meeting with my accountant that afternoon.
So, I created a compromise.
I called Kathy.
When she picked up I said, “This is officially an Imperfect Hello. I know we have a million things to catch up on, and that if I were truly a good friend, I’d set aside an hour for catching up. I don’t have an hour. But I was thinking of you. And I’d rather say hello imperfectly than not say hello at all.”
Kathy knows me well, and she has several of her own perfection-seeking Drill Sergeants in her head.
She burst out laughing, and said, “Well, I’m so glad you opted for imperfection!”
We talked for about 3 minutes, and we both hung up smiling.
I’m writing this post today for two reasons:
The first reason is that many of you have your own busy lives. I know it’s easy to put people aside because you’re holding out for a more “perfect” version of yourself, or for a few unscheduled hours of free time when you can really catch up.
This is your official permission to not be perfect.
Try the Imperfect Hello some time. I’ve used it a lot in these past two months. It keeps you connected, it allows you to stay focused, and it builds your courage, too. (Besides, most people love the idea and will start using it themselves!)
The second reason is that I’m home this week catching up after two months of nearly constant traveling, and this is - as you might have guessed - an “Imperfect Blog post.”
Friday, November 7, 2008
Imagine
The final of a series of paintings I did for Imagine--title inspired by the name of the occasion itself. I had so much fun doing these paintings, I hope they earn some money for DIFFA. We'll see next Friday. . .Thursday, November 6, 2008
Over the Hills and Far Away
Here is another mixed media painting I created for Imagine. I like using mixed media because it is symbolic of my hodge-podge life. A little bit of this and little bit of that for this gal :)Pretty Little Things
I created several mixed media paintings for Imagine--a student-run silent auction that our school holds. Proceeds are going to DIFFA-The Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS. I used paint, fabric, paper, modge-podge, ink, and vintage jewelry. As the title suggests, I hope this 12" x 12" painting finds itself a home with an owner who appreciates how sweet it is.
Axonometric Drawing
That's what we call this type of drawing in "the biz". I drew this in my first drafting class. It is a fictional coffee shop I designed for the first floor of Harrington called Perk. The circular furniture is meant to mimic bubbles perculating :)Tuesday, October 28, 2008
I Heart this Lamp!
I love how this bold Mark Sadler adjustable Twiggy Lamp is juxtaposed with the more traditional peices in this room. Too bad it's a little outside of my budget--$2,125. But, if anyone is looking for a Christmas present for me. . .Saturday, October 25, 2008
http://www.theblackapple.typepad.com/
Emily Martin is one of the most popular artists on ETSY and I can see why from her art. The picture shown above, though, shows her interior design talent. I love how she created an off-balance cluster of silhouettes in the corner of this room with a slanted ceiling. Take some time to look at her website and experience her whimsy and almost meloncholy artwork and designs.Disclaimer
Hello everyone! Okay, I should have put a disclaimer on my last entry that I was severely sleep-deprived after creating a 26 page computerized portfolio in Photoshop for a design consultatation that I donated for a silent auction for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in two weekends. I literally went without sleep and even food (and this is me we are talking about!!!) to work a total of thirty-five hours in two weekends to create a portfolio that I hoped would inspire some high bidding in the name of charity. Clearly, I hit the point of insanity.
Well, two break-downs at Kinkos, an insane blog posting, and lots of screaming at Photoshop later, the portfolio was a success. The event was last night and my classmate who asked me for the donation said that it did great at the auction. She wasn't sure about the ending number for the bidding, but I know that I generated at least $100 because that is where they started the bids. I can't wait to hear from the winner. All I know about him is he's a guy. I can't wait to see his space and hear what he is thinking. I will keep all of you posted.
That being said, I had to scan all of my work from school and my free-lance work, so I will be posting a lot in the coming weeks for all of you to see why you never hear from me and I only come out of my hole in between semesters.
I thank all those who expressed concern about my well-being due to my last crazy posting. The men in white suits haven't shown up yet. (Although, I think Sean has been tempted to call them.) It's nice to know people love and care about me. I don't think I could get through the challenges of my hectic schedule without the support of those who are close to me!
Well, two break-downs at Kinkos, an insane blog posting, and lots of screaming at Photoshop later, the portfolio was a success. The event was last night and my classmate who asked me for the donation said that it did great at the auction. She wasn't sure about the ending number for the bidding, but I know that I generated at least $100 because that is where they started the bids. I can't wait to hear from the winner. All I know about him is he's a guy. I can't wait to see his space and hear what he is thinking. I will keep all of you posted.
That being said, I had to scan all of my work from school and my free-lance work, so I will be posting a lot in the coming weeks for all of you to see why you never hear from me and I only come out of my hole in between semesters.
I thank all those who expressed concern about my well-being due to my last crazy posting. The men in white suits haven't shown up yet. (Although, I think Sean has been tempted to call them.) It's nice to know people love and care about me. I don't think I could get through the challenges of my hectic schedule without the support of those who are close to me!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Completely Personal, Not Design-Related
Okay, I will get right to the punch here. I'm exhausted. No, let me put it another way. I'm tired of saying how exhausted I am.
I have done and seen a lot in my short little life. I have experienced whole life upheavals, moved across the world and back again, seen human suffering and extreme poverty close-up, said good-bye to loved ones, had a broken heart, etc. And, I think I can honestly say that these past few years of my life have been even more challenging than any of these experiences.
What? You say disbelievingly. Aren't you in love? Aren't you pursuing your dreams? You have cool friends. A great place to live. You are close to your family. HELLO?
I know, I know. But, the thing is, I am too tired to enjoy any of it. I'm just tired. I am tired all the time. I've never felt anything like this. It's like watching this great life with a huge cataract of exaustion over it. There is always this gentle haze or veil over everything. This looming other that takes over my life and that I always have to account for and plan around. Well, I could go out with my friends, but then who would watch my exhaustion. Dinner with my parents? Well, I hope my exhaustion can go. Sean and I can hang out, but only after I spend the day with exhaustion.
I don't know how much longer I can do this to myself! My mind and body are spent.
I feel myself putting people at a distance because I know that all I am going to want to talk about is how stressed and tired I am. Unless, I've built up years of credit, this is just lame. There are only the select few in my life right now who know the previous less tired version of myself. But, it's hard to talk to them too. Through the lens of my current life, these other lifetimes were amazing and exhaustion-free. I had no idea how great I had it. And, I want to plead with the people who have just met me in the past few years and say, "I swear this isn't who I am! I value balance. I take long walks. I journal. I have long phone conversations with the people I love. The people in my life ARE my life."
But, see, I am not living these values that are so core to me. So, how can I claim that these things are who I am? Who I am right now is a workaholic. A very tired workaholic. One of those who could possibly be the main character on a Hallmark channel spin-off of It's a Wonderful Life. The person who needs an epiphany because she gets angry at teenagers in love on the El at 10:30 at night because she has been up since 6:15 working all day. (Violins, anyone?)
I feel like that old aunt who is painful to be around because she only wants to talk about the past and then complain about bunyons. Like that aunt, nobody wants to hear about my great past. Unlike that aunt, my big bunyon comes in the form of 45 hours of work a week, 8 hours of class, and 10-20 hours of homework every weekend. An impossible schedule that doesn't allow me time to do anything outside what is absolutely necesary to get done. Down-time, what's that?
I find myself saying things like, "if only I didn't have to hang out with my sister "or "well, I have to go to that party" or "oh my god, I haven't even noticed that I have dandruff and my hairdresser is using a snowblower to dry my hair." This really happened! I was too busy to notice I have embarrassing little white flakes! The ones from the commercials. The affliction that happens to other people, not me. How did I not realize that I needed to buy medicated Shampoo asap?
I didn't notice because I don't have time for the little things. In some ways, this has actually been beneficial. I don't obsess over calories anymore. I haven't spent hours obsessing over my stomach in the mirror since I enrolled in design school. This is something that used to weigh me down (literally) and now I scarcely think about it. Sophomore year of college, this would have been a release from a mental jail. I don't mind my body. I've actually come to like it because without it, I couldn't accomplish the creative work I do and I certainly couldn't maintain my schedule.
This schedule that will supposedly get me to my dream of being a designer.
And, isn't this what it is all about? I got to the point in my life, a few years ago, when I realized the best thing I can do for this world is share my talents. It took me a while to figure out what these talents were. But, now that I know, this is what I plan on doing-share my creativity with the world because not everyone is blessed with a creative mind. I'm not going to lie, I question the sacrifice I make every day to hopefully actualize a life as a designer. Was I actually cursed with a creative mind? Why can't I just sit at a desk and make more money than I do now and go home at the end of the day? Maybe this is a better fit for me? I obsess over whether I am making the right decision. But, I know that I am destined to live a life less ordinary for the rest of my life. I am the person who goes by the motto, "live every day to the fullest." While I sacrifice my sanity daily to make this happen, I can't picture another way to live right now. But, I sure as heck have a long loooooong list of things I am going to do when this madness is all over. (Sleep is very high on this list.) August 22, 2009, if any one would like to know. This highlighted day on my calendar is when I will obtain my degree for free from Harrington College of Design with which I can work in the design field for 4 years and then become a licenced Interior Designer. I know it's not the date that marks the end of the journey of hard work, but it will be the fork in the road that will lead me to my next exciting path.
Okay, so I guess this post did become design-related. Why didn't anyone ever tell me finding your passion and pursuing your dreams drives you to slight madness and consuming obsession? Who knew?
I have done and seen a lot in my short little life. I have experienced whole life upheavals, moved across the world and back again, seen human suffering and extreme poverty close-up, said good-bye to loved ones, had a broken heart, etc. And, I think I can honestly say that these past few years of my life have been even more challenging than any of these experiences.
What? You say disbelievingly. Aren't you in love? Aren't you pursuing your dreams? You have cool friends. A great place to live. You are close to your family. HELLO?
I know, I know. But, the thing is, I am too tired to enjoy any of it. I'm just tired. I am tired all the time. I've never felt anything like this. It's like watching this great life with a huge cataract of exaustion over it. There is always this gentle haze or veil over everything. This looming other that takes over my life and that I always have to account for and plan around. Well, I could go out with my friends, but then who would watch my exhaustion. Dinner with my parents? Well, I hope my exhaustion can go. Sean and I can hang out, but only after I spend the day with exhaustion.
I don't know how much longer I can do this to myself! My mind and body are spent.
I feel myself putting people at a distance because I know that all I am going to want to talk about is how stressed and tired I am. Unless, I've built up years of credit, this is just lame. There are only the select few in my life right now who know the previous less tired version of myself. But, it's hard to talk to them too. Through the lens of my current life, these other lifetimes were amazing and exhaustion-free. I had no idea how great I had it. And, I want to plead with the people who have just met me in the past few years and say, "I swear this isn't who I am! I value balance. I take long walks. I journal. I have long phone conversations with the people I love. The people in my life ARE my life."
But, see, I am not living these values that are so core to me. So, how can I claim that these things are who I am? Who I am right now is a workaholic. A very tired workaholic. One of those who could possibly be the main character on a Hallmark channel spin-off of It's a Wonderful Life. The person who needs an epiphany because she gets angry at teenagers in love on the El at 10:30 at night because she has been up since 6:15 working all day. (Violins, anyone?)
I feel like that old aunt who is painful to be around because she only wants to talk about the past and then complain about bunyons. Like that aunt, nobody wants to hear about my great past. Unlike that aunt, my big bunyon comes in the form of 45 hours of work a week, 8 hours of class, and 10-20 hours of homework every weekend. An impossible schedule that doesn't allow me time to do anything outside what is absolutely necesary to get done. Down-time, what's that?
I find myself saying things like, "if only I didn't have to hang out with my sister "or "well, I have to go to that party" or "oh my god, I haven't even noticed that I have dandruff and my hairdresser is using a snowblower to dry my hair." This really happened! I was too busy to notice I have embarrassing little white flakes! The ones from the commercials. The affliction that happens to other people, not me. How did I not realize that I needed to buy medicated Shampoo asap?
I didn't notice because I don't have time for the little things. In some ways, this has actually been beneficial. I don't obsess over calories anymore. I haven't spent hours obsessing over my stomach in the mirror since I enrolled in design school. This is something that used to weigh me down (literally) and now I scarcely think about it. Sophomore year of college, this would have been a release from a mental jail. I don't mind my body. I've actually come to like it because without it, I couldn't accomplish the creative work I do and I certainly couldn't maintain my schedule.
This schedule that will supposedly get me to my dream of being a designer.
And, isn't this what it is all about? I got to the point in my life, a few years ago, when I realized the best thing I can do for this world is share my talents. It took me a while to figure out what these talents were. But, now that I know, this is what I plan on doing-share my creativity with the world because not everyone is blessed with a creative mind. I'm not going to lie, I question the sacrifice I make every day to hopefully actualize a life as a designer. Was I actually cursed with a creative mind? Why can't I just sit at a desk and make more money than I do now and go home at the end of the day? Maybe this is a better fit for me? I obsess over whether I am making the right decision. But, I know that I am destined to live a life less ordinary for the rest of my life. I am the person who goes by the motto, "live every day to the fullest." While I sacrifice my sanity daily to make this happen, I can't picture another way to live right now. But, I sure as heck have a long loooooong list of things I am going to do when this madness is all over. (Sleep is very high on this list.) August 22, 2009, if any one would like to know. This highlighted day on my calendar is when I will obtain my degree for free from Harrington College of Design with which I can work in the design field for 4 years and then become a licenced Interior Designer. I know it's not the date that marks the end of the journey of hard work, but it will be the fork in the road that will lead me to my next exciting path.
Okay, so I guess this post did become design-related. Why didn't anyone ever tell me finding your passion and pursuing your dreams drives you to slight madness and consuming obsession? Who knew?
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