Fly

So Much Going on...

What an emotional week! Today is my official last day at TV Land/MTV Networks which marks the beginning of my last days here in New York City. I prepared for it but now that it's officially here it feels so bizarre; I will no longer be working, and soon, no longer living in my beloved New York. Below you will see pics from a fabulous goodbye lunch I had with my coworkers at one of my favorite restaurants, Pastis, which is in one of my favorite neighborhoods in Manhattan, the Meatpacking District. The food was so amazing and although it was bittersweet, I had a good time with my colleagues whom I've come to love during my time at the company.

So please bear with me in the weeks to come as I begin packing and making my move to Philadelphia. Next week I'm taking time off from Fly to regroup and catch up on a ton of emails and such, but will return with self nominated Fly Girls and other goodies. I will also be documenting my last days in New York. Follow me as I say good bye to this wonderful city. I will be exploring every nook and cranny that I have yet to uncover, because who knows if I will ever live here again (visiting is cool and all but it's never the same).

In the mean time have a wonderful holiday weekend and I'll see you in a week.

**Check out this wonderful screenprint my coworker gave to me as goodbye gift. She printed it in her print class at the lovely Print Shop studios (where I printed my first round of Fly Bags). I LOVE these prints. I can't wait to hang them in my new place. Thanks, Katie!***

Catupiry

Catupiry {ka•tu•pee•ree <---my own phonetics}, a cheese spread from Brazil, is not only delicious but is also presented in this nicely designed package.

Dont Forget Stina Persson Thursday May 24th!

Check out her solo exhibition in New York...

Curious Sofa

When I lived in Kansas City I always visited this little shop of romantic vintage finds. Curious Sofa is like a smaller version of Anthropologie minus the mass appeal. It's also a little more quaint and personal, and a great destination for gifts and pretty little items for your home. Visit the site and blog to learn more.

T-Shirts at Ropeadope

Great t-shirt graphics from Ropeadope Records.

Fly Girl of the Week

Derilyn and I worked together at Hallmark Cards and I really loved her design sensibility; it was soft, quiet, and beautifully detailed almost the same way I would describe her. Please be inspired by FGOTW, Derilyn Chambers and be sure to check out her fantastic blog, Design Treats.

**{P.S. I have received all Fly Girl nominations and will be contacting those selected in the weeks to come.}**

Who? Derilyn Chambers, 32
Where? Originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, but now live in Chicago, IL
What? I'm a Designer– magazine design, packaging, logo development, branding
What inspires you? Wow! So many things inspire me: People who live their lives doing what they love, my family history–the adversities and the privileges, really really good writers/poets, children, my husband, my parents, my "bohemian/natural" grandmother, and the memory of my "classic/glamour" grandmother, the Harlem Renaissance, Susan L. Taylor, exotic things, world cultures, the life stories of people, nature (I grew up surrounded by mountains), grandeur skylines (I grew up surrounded by mountains), the ocean, saturated colors, Hallmark cards :o), music with a message that I can relate to, the vision of who I know I will become.
Why are you fly? I'm fly because I followed and continue to follow my childhood career dreams which remained my adult career dreams. One I accomplished, working at Hallmark Cards, and another I'm working towards. ;o)
Advice: One of the most challenging things you will ever have to do in your life is to learn to know yourself. The more you know about you, the more everything else falls into place; however, self-discovery is a life-long process. So you will always be learning about yourself. Also, don't be afraid to ask for help. No one who has achieved has ever done it alone. Know that there will always be someone who will doubt your abiliites, the road that you take to get there, the purpose, everything, but hold fast to your dreams. Lastly, don't forget that every person who has overcome adversity before you helped you to get that much closer to your dream. Respect what they have worked to provide for you, and return that gift to others. As recording artist Janelle Monae says in her song Lettin' Go, "Don't let your dreams die. Life is not a rehearsal."

Random Image

I loved these images and had to stick them in my inspiration book, so now I share them with you. The yellow, the blues, and pinks of the roses really make me smile.

FreeSpirit Fabric Gallery

Check out this site I discovered called FreeSpirit, which features swatches from different textile designers.

Hmmmm...

I would love to wear these pieces together for a night out on the town.

Clutch - Lauren Merkin,  Shoes - Loeffler Randall,  Dress - Twinkle

Angel D'Amico

I love love love these illustrations by Angel D'Amico. I love how she mixes, spray paint, pencil, and screen printing to give her work a textural feel.

Call to Artists Feature

Because of a mistake on my part I am reposting the photography work of Nnenna Arete.

Bio:
At the age of 22, Nnenna Arete, purchased a camera after being inspired by a black and white photo postcard. In the following years she photographed hundreds of black and white images. Her favorite genre was lifestyle photography.

Little Rock, Arkansas had always been her home, but Nnenna craved a drastic change for her life. So she packed her car and drove 26 hours, to California.
She currently resides in Los Angeles, where she pursues to constantly elevate her love of photography. Her camera lense captures images of beauty, truth, and creativity.

Nnenna Arete Photography allows her to express trials of her past, while paving the way for her future.
She consistently strives to create art that evokes emotion, provokes thought, and translates truth.
Nnenna Arete's current work is very personal to her, but many will relate.

Talla Design

Cute tops and dresses on sale at Talla.

Stina Persson

One of my favorite artists, Stina Persson–who is known for her wonderful fashion illustrations, is having a solo exhibition here in New York. The opening is Thursday, May 24th and the show will last until July 6th. Can't make it? Then check out her beautiful watercolors on her website. For more info on the show click here.

Artist Series Totes

Urban Outfitters is great about doing artist collaborations with their product. Here is a fun example where two artists were asked to design a set of tote bags.

Fly Girl of the Week

I met CC in college, and years later we both ended up working in the same building. I'm loving the design work she's doing at Nick and her incredible sense of style. Be inspired to have fun and be yourself. Love this pic, CC!

Who? CC Bursell, 29 yrs.
Where? I live in Brooklyn, Although I came to America  by myself when I was 20 from the south of Sweden. (I had to put that southern mention in because we are so different than the rest of the Swedes. As in dope. heehee)
What do you do? I'm a Senior Graphic Designer for Nickelodeon (print/off-air) and I do a ton of work as a freelance designer also. Other than that I pretty much do exactly what I want to do or find a way to do it in the near future. I get it all in. 
What inspires you? The funny thing about me being a designer (that my fellow nerd designer friends always make sure to make fun of and point out) is that I NEVER go to museums. Really. I only go to art shows on opening night when there is an open bar. So the answer must then be TRAVELING, PEOPLE & MUSIC & ANYTHING THAT I CAN WEAR!  Kicking it at home watching TV or in the club with my friends–it works like a charm every time!(is there such a thing as too much hip hop, I don't think so?) I love being in New York City, because I feel so at home (i.e.
no one is looking at me like I'm crazy for what I'm wearing) and the diverse PEOPLE that I meet here, inspire me every day. Just the fact that you can still meet new best friends in your later 20's. Totally awesome dude.
Why are you fly? I'm fly cause I'm hot, I'm hot cause I'm fly. (ok so maybe a stole that from a song, but whatever you get it)
Advice: Do not take stuff for granted, and keep pushing to better yourself. I feel like I'm living the American dream, and I'm very thankful for it every day. I used to be the little girl with weird clothes (that I got for cheap) and crazy glasses (with an eye patch!-how did I survive that?). I guess my mom and dad raised me right because somehow I didn't care if people made fun of me back then, because I knew I was on to something. True, I didn't exactly know what/where/when but somehow I knew in the back of my
mind that someday I was going to live in a cool place, have cool friends, a cool boyfriend, & a cool job, with those nasty people now saying "oooh I just looooove your style" & "where can I get that?". And I'd answer: Well, you cant. Ha! No but seriously; Always look at where the critique is coming from. Unless
it is from someone who's opinion you truly respect, let it go and move on! Stay true to yourself, & things will eventually fall into place one day. So don't settle, surround yourself with people who let you do you.  The same advice goes for your work place. I LOVE DESIGNING! So since my job is such a huge part of my life, I always try to make the best of it when I'm at work. You can be at the club till 4am as long as you finished your project beforehand, & you show up on time the next morning. Work hard then play hard. Don't complain. Just do it. Find the balance & make sure you enjoy life, do the things that make YOU happy and try to not step on too many toes in the process. ALWAYS approach new things with a positive attitude! That should be enough peppy slogans for today:)