Although it’s a little sappy, I love listening to Auld Lang Syne. And every year, I tell myself that I’m going to learn the lyrics. But for now, I’ll just use it for lettering and savor the last few hours of 2014. I hope you all have a wonderful and safe night tonight.
Happy New Year!
Click below for free iPhone Background download.
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, filled with family and friends, fuzzy sweaters and pjs, hot chocolate and pie. Our family celebrated in Houston this year and now, I get to finish up this post I started a couple of weeks ago…
When I travel somewhere, I make it my private mission to blend into the look and feel of the local culture. I like to find out the not-so-publicized cafes and streets to wander. The unspoken rules and faux pas. The fashion, foods, and habits.
So pedestrian and so particular, the Parisians are fascinating to study. And as long as you know a few key things and phrases, you could play the game too. Here are some of the most important lessons I learned, read (and plan to bring back with me) from our trip to Paris:
1. Red lipstick is awesome. If you know me at all, you know that I don’t wear a lot of make up. Like, for my whole 28 years of life, I’ve never truly owned lipstick I used more than once. But while on this trip, I started noticing something. Even if tired and rushed, dressed up or dressed down, a lot of these women wore red lipstick. So I decided to give it a try — I dropped into a pharmacie, butchered my way through “je voudrais…holds up lipstick,” and gave it a shot. I liked.
2. Let’s wear all black. This is similar to fashion in New York and personally, I prefer it. Layered textures and fabrics, loose and tight, the Parisians wear a lot of black. And then, accessories with a splash of color. Or a stunning gold statement piece.
I was recently encouraged by a friend of mine who took her passion for food photography to the next level with a 30-day food photography challenge. Each day, she completed mini-lessons and challenges that stretched her into an amazing photographer. For reals. You could go check out her portfolio.
Inspired, I’ve decided to build off my interest in typography and print production to participate in the “30 Days to Better Hand-Lettering” course, where I will follow daily prompts and stretch myself to observe and practice lettering every day.
To get started, I used the SteerFW Vision Statement.
I’m pretty excited about this y’all…
Daniel and I just moved into Bluebonnet Place, a neighborhood on the north part of Bluebonnet Circle — which is just south of Texas Christian University, where University Drive meets Bluebonnet Circle.
According to the City of Fort Worth website, Bluebonnet Circle, constructed around 1929, was the only enduring result of the emphasis on traffic circles in the Bartholomew & Associates street plan. But it was not developed until after 1950.
There is a master plan in the works, originally designed by HOK. I encourage you to read this document and dream with me about the potential evolution of Bluebonnet Circle. But more importantly, let’s breathe a little life into this space and gather. Potluck, popup, grassroots, community style. (From fortworthtexas.gov)
The Bluebonnet Circle Alliance grew out of my desire to gather and share stories. To meet neighbors and laugh at inside jokes. To invest in community and build deep roots. My hope is simply to create opportunities for our community to meet and gather, while engaging Fort Worth’s most promising artisans, creators, tinkerers, and dreamers.
It turns out that the French don’t like turkey that much.
In fact, while we were in Paris over Thanksgiving, we ate pig intestine, duck, and fish instead. (The intestine was a result of not speaking French). And because of how tickets and timing worked out, I was able to explore Amsterdam a little too.
Y’all, Amsterdam is one of the most well-designed places I’ve ever visited. Sans serif everywhere, with bright and modern colors. Kind of like an Ikea. And the pedestrian-heavy streets are covered with bike riders. So many bike riders. I arrived early Monday morning, so people were just starting their week and peddling through town. It was amazing to just wander about, taking it all in.
stacyedwardsaguilar.wordpress.com 