For Class: Final Review

I found myself remarking to a co-worker the other day about how much time blogging takes up. While it takes someone 3-7min to read a post, it took the individual creating that content, or finding that content, a number of hours.

Blogging and managing an online presence just takes time. It’s really no wonder why managing social media has become such a common job. Managing all of that content is not easy.

I wish that I would have given myself more time to promote myself via social media networks for this blog and for this class project. Promoting myself, and something that I haven’t tangibly created (like a blog), doesn’t seem genuine to me in some way, and therefore I’m overly hesitant to do so. That hang up, combined with summer trips and moving from one house to another, pushed the social media aspect to the back of my mind.

I do always find it strange to hear the statistic that Twitter is the networking, branding, social media platform. I’m much more active on  Instagram, and have seem many people build a large following there. On Twitter I sometimes feel that it has become oversaturated and it can be difficult to get any attention.

I know that going forward I will be making more of an effort to check up on my various social media platforms, both professionally and personally, rather than focusing on one. Having a well rounded personal brand is important, and it needs to be reflected across as many platforms needed. The skills that come with social and content management are important, considering the job I currently have, and in the career I hope to have. Knowing the language of the web, and knowing how to interact with other users on social media is a skill I’m sure I’ll have to call upon in the future.

But, with all that media, there is a caveat. Distraction. This article is worth a read if you’ve recently thought about your lack of reading.

This House on This Hill

Designed by Adam Wysock at DeMateria Studio in Poland, this house is a minimalist dream. The two story house has a garage situated on top of the house, opening up the bottom floor to sweeping natural views. Fabricated out of CorTen steel, and glass, this seemingly sturdy house is full of light. Light wood floors, big glass windows, and tones of black and copper in the interior pair nicely with the landscape creating a cohesive and simple dwelling space.

via trendland

click images for source

Margaret Howell F/W 2015

Margaret Howell‘s Fall 2015 lookbook, photographed by Alasdair McLellan, is simple and pared down in the most desirable way.

How Margaret describes her line: “I think of myself as a hands-on designer. For me make is integral to my design philosophy. It is crucial how a piece of clothing feels when worn. I’ve always wanted clothes to be the way I drew them – relaxed and lived in, a natural look. I find men’s clothes interesting in their structure, feel and functionality. I started by designing men’s clothes, and then found that women wanted them”.

to shop line click here | to see more of Alasdair McLellans’ work click here

(click image for source)

Art by GORDON CHEUNG

I have a strong inclination for anything floral and these blurred floral paintings by Gordon Cheung are a fast new favorite. A little bit ominous and graceful at the same time, the use of color and the blurring of the flora seems to hint at a seemingly beautiful decay.

From Artsy: “Using the financial index of British newspapers as collage materials, together with spray paint, acrylic, and inkjet and woodblock printing, artist Gordon Cheung composes complex landscapes and still lifes that suggest a brave new world or a society in decline. The fluctuating stock listings serve as the backdrop for his psychedelic, apocalyptic videos and illustrations, which might depict a barren terrain bathed in the lurid glow of a fading sun, or multicolored flowers in a vase, blurring to reveal a virtual, pixelated realm beneath. Employing digital imagery in saturated hues, Cheung both appropriates and subverts contemporary technology and media. Many of his nightmarish compositions prophesy an economic and social armageddon, while his pyrographic etchings are influenced by such classical illustrators as Albrecht Dürer.”

See more of Gordon’s work here.

(click images for source)

NYC/Everlane

While I was in New York this past July, my friend Emma and I heard about this launch party for Everlane. It was going to be on a rooftop farm in Brooklyn. We had a new camera lens. We had to go. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, and we got a tour of the farm. Fun fact, they plant sunflowers at the perimeter of the garden plots to keep the wind from tousling all of the vegetables (the tomatoes had been known to fly away in the breeze, sunflowers prevented this from happening).

Everlane had partnered with Edible School Yard NYC to raise $50,000 to help kids eat more nutrient meals, make food awareness and education more accessible, and to bring transparency to ethics of eating. There were recipe cards, gardening activities, fresh food, a uniting purpose, and a generous dose of general party mingling.

To find out more about their cause and to shop the goods, click here.

For Class: NYC 2015

For being the daughter of a pilot, it could be assumed that I just travel all the time. Eh, not really true. School and work have gotten in the way of me taking any trips the past few years (responsibilities- they are real). Recently I set out to solve this wanting to travel but not having time/anyone to go with problem. I just went to New York by myself for five days. And it was great. Exhausting. A whirlwind is a good descriptive adjective for the experience. I totally got lost and my phone died on the subway, but it was all great in the end.

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For class: Found App

Found: an app that is your best friend city tour guide. Found connects to your Instagram account, followers, and location to suggest and help you plan a perfect day in whatever city you’re in.