I moved in December (down the street, wheeee) and inherited a garden plot that was essentially all set up for me. The ground had been tilled, enriched and even had some plants leftover from the previous year that popped up as pleasant little gifts when the snow melted. As a reluctant gardener, no one has been more surprised than me at my sudden enthusiasm for this mucking around in the dirt. Maybe it’s because I’m visual and needed to have space laid out for me, a sort of paint-by-numbers for gardeners, or maybe it’s just because this year I have a much more boring life – regardless of reason, I have jumped in to the gardening life with vim et vigor. That said, it’s a learning curve, and learning curves are humbling. The fostering of things from the ground, the choices you have to make about where to plant things and whether or not something is a weed – surely I’m not the only one that finds it all kind of a big deal? I’ve taken to tasting things, in spite of my terror that something might be a potato plant, and what if I die of gardening-related poisoning? I’ve read a lot of Agatha Christie.

Being a gardener is something I’ve always felt I should be – in the same way I’ve always been certain (against all evidence ever) that deep down I’m a runner who just hasn’t started yet. I relish the sore muscles and the rough patches on my hands, taking them as badges – identifiers, the way a runner might point to calluses where blisters used to be. I take such satisfaction because the older I get, the more I fear that I will get into the groove of not being things I want to be, whether it’s a gardener/runner/potter/person who can keep a beat/speaks French, etc and so forth and so on. Having taken stock of 2012, and realizing that I hadn’t gotten more interesting in any single way, this year has unexpectedly turned into a year focused on exposing myself to new things, learning new skills and trying to be a more interesting person. Note here that I did not say “better” person. Goals need to be realistic. “Learning” has become my mantra.

Everything I’ve read about learning and the brain (and you’d be surprised at how much I have read) leads me to believe that the great gift and curse of being human is how we learn.  Could I be anymore dramatic? In the most reductive way possible, it works roughly like this: you learn something by constant exposure, building a neural bridge of responses and synapses. There are times in your life when it’s easier to build these bridges (or pathways, or grooves) because your whole brain is devoted to growing and learning new things. Toddlers learning to walk, talk, and hold spoons are constantly learning new things, and this continues up through the teenage years and into early adulthood, topping off at about 19 – 21. After that, the brain gets a little lazier, probably figuring that whatever you really need to know to survive, you should have learned by then – and people settle into their grooves, doing things the same way over and over again. This is why languages are harder to learn when you’re older, and why habits can be harder to break or form. In fact, people can become so settled into their grooves that the brain actually loses function – consider dementia and Alzheimer’s - the literal dying off of parts of the brain. Now it used to be that when the brain was damaged, stroke or other injury, and say for example, the patient lost function of part of the body – e.g. the left arm, it was just accepted, and worked around. A patient would be treated with deference, and someone else would do for them what the left side couldn’t. (I’m getting to my point, I swear.) But as time has passed and more research done, it’s become evident that the brain can continue to build new neural pathways – even around injuries. So the new way of dealing with the patient would be the same way a toddler learns to walk – trying over and over and over again – small attempts at first and then building up to things like brushing their hair with the left hand, for example. And thus the brain is capable of change, of learning new things – even against tremendous odds. It would then follow that if the brain can work around traumatic injury, it can also fend off the slower deterioration, by preemptively and constantly building new neural pathways. In other words, don’t get complacent.

And so, as I age, I think about these things. I’m 32, and I realize this is not considered aged by people outside of Provo, Utah, but if I’m preemptively using wrinkle creams – and you know I am – surely I can do the same for my brain. And so my year continues, and the theme (whether or not it started out this way) of learning goes on.

All of this is to say I’ve been digging in the dirt, futzing about with seeds and seedlings, and getting a whole lot dirtier than usual. Imagine how insufferable I’ll be if/when I actually start harvesting things.

Note: I also fixed the lawn mower, but I’m just saying that to brag, because I’ve got to do it somewhere, and if I’m paying for this domain space, I can talk about fixing a lawn mower if I want to.

That was then.

Since the beginning of 2013, I haven’t painted my own nails once. Every three weeks, without really meaning to, or making an appointment, I stop in at a little Vietnamese nail salon on Freedom Boulevard (next to Shirley’s Bakery, if you’re curious) and I ask for a gel manicure. 20 minutes later, I come out with perfect, glossy talons – and so far, no regrets.

Sure, there are pros and cons to the gel manicure. In the pro column are that it lasts for two to three weeks, is shiny all the time, and I can do anything from deep cleaning the bathroom to assembling IKEA furniture without worrying about dents, smudges and chips. Also, the dry time is almost nonexistent. In the con column are a few more – it’s not great for your nails, you have to put your hands under a wrinkle inducing UV lamp to dry the polish, there aren’t a ton of color options, and above all, and possibly the most damning – I have to pay someone else to do it.

But every time I look at my boxes (yes, boxes) of nail polish, and contemplate choosing a color and then going through the rigamarole of filing, cuticling (I christen thee, “cuticling” a word!), layering on polish, and waiting for it to dry…. Sigh. I just get tired. And then knowing I’ll have to do it all over again in three to five days….

I just can’t do it.

So for now, I continue the shellacked path to shiny, long lasting gel nails.

I need to get my groove back, baby.

Mood: Sneezy. Is that a mood? I’m exceptionally allergic to something in the building where I work. For a long time I thought it was the cleaning supplies, and then I considered that it might be the carpet, or even dust in the air vents. Eventually I gave up wondering and have just come to accept that when I’m at work I will sneeze all. day. long. Sometimes it carries over to after work and I’m a runny-eyed sneeze machine for the rest of the day. Today is one of those days. You should see the rate at which I go through tissues.

Listening to: After six months of audiobook bingeing I’m making a slow return to music. I’ve been taking the lazy way out and just putting things on shuffle, but some good songs lately: Quiet Dog – Mos Def, Thunder on a Mountain – Bob Dylan, All That I Want – the Weepies, These Arms of Mine – Otis Redding, Which Will – Nick Drake. It’s a pretty chill mix, but hey, I’m chill.

Reading: So, my preferred cold medicine is Theraflu, and it was briefly discontinued for issues with the childproof packaging, so it’s almost impossible to find in stores. Therefore, in a feverish haze I got online and went looking on Amazon.com. (Side note, I adore Amazon.com. I know there are all of these things about how it’s killed small bookstores, and even big bookstores, and I have terrible guilt about this, but I can’t help but love a place where I can get ANYTHING shipped to my house. Someday they’ll start selling groceries and my dream of never having to leave the house or wear pants will come true). Anyway, I found my beloved Theraflu and then apparently went shopping for cookbooks also, because this is what arrived a day later:

So that was fun.

I also just started Super Brain by Deepak Chopra. I don’t have any thoughts on it yet, but I’ll keep you updated. I love Deepak Chopra, although this is his first book I’ve read. I’m a big fan of his guided meditations though, which I recommend strongly. Have we talked about meditation before? No? We should do that one day.

Cooking: So in my last post I talked about going all slow carb, and I am still loving it, but I fell off the wagon for a while when I was sick, and when I did, I came up with a thing – not a recipe, not even a thing, really, but a new favorite breakfast that I’ll eat on days when I just can’t handle egg whites and beans for breakfast. It goes as follows:

Pounds lost: 3

Building: Considering I live in a four bedroom house (a tiny four bedroom house) that I’ve completely furnished, including beds and extra bedding, and TOWELS (I’ve always wanted to be someone with extra towels) the fact that I’ve had a plastic dresser for my clothes was just… not cool any more. So, after scouring Craigslist for weeks to no avail, I broke down and went to IKEA and bought one. My sister decided she wanted one too, so last Saturday we ended up with two IKEA dressers to assemble. Amazingly, it only took us a few hours and was easier than we both expected. I know it’s not the biggest thing ever, but stuff like that is so satisfying. Plus, my bedroom looks one step closer to a real bedroom instead of a dorm room.

Beautifying: Considering I spent most of this month feeling about as attractive as a crusty scab, when I finally started coming out of it, I doubled up on the beautifying efforts. Here are a few favorites:

1. The Tangle Teezer $12, 2. Aveda Pure Abundance Hair Potion Hair Powder $24, 3. Flower Cosmetics Lip Stain in Lacy Laurel $8, 4. Maybelline Dream Lumi Concealer and Highlighter $8, 5. Physician’s Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner +Serum, $9

I’ve never been a fan of combing my hair. Once, when I was in elementary school, the principal saw me in the hall with my usual bird’s nest, and actually pulled me into her office and brushed my hair for me. Now that I’m an adult, it’s not that I don’t brush my hair, but I still don’t like doing it, and what’s more, since I have such long hair (it’s almost waist length) I hate how hair gets everywhere. Enter the Tangle Teezer. No pulling, no yanking, no frizz afterward – just smooth hair. I’ve always been a fan of sleek hair, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate the power of volume. That great lift you get from having your hair round brushed has always been an elusive state for someone as lazy as me, until now. The Aveda Pure Abundance Hair Potion is actually a powder, and I’ve heard it labeled as a dry shampoo, which ick, is not exactly true. It comes in a tiny little bottle that you must never shake, because the powder turns to liquid when it’s agitated. I have no idea what the science is behind it, but the results are miraculous enough that I don’t really care. I generally use it after curling my hair, to avoid triangle head. I lift sections of my hair, starting an inch or so above my ears and sprinkle the powder on near the roots, and then repeat in sections up to the crown of my head. Then, pushing my fingers up through my hair from below, I’ll rub it in, and you can feel a brief liquidy effect and then voila, volume. (It’s not wet except for that first second or so). Confused yet? Just trust me when I say it’s great. Once my hair is looking good, I move on to makeup. This winter has been so dry and depleting that I’ve been a fiend for anything moisturizing, and the Flower Cosmetics line from Drew Barrymore (available at Walmart) has won me over with these chubby lip stains/balms. I have fairly pigmented lips, so I generally reach for the darker colors, but decided I’d test the mettle of these with a lighter color – in Lacy Laurel.  I’m happy to say that it’s brilliant: a sheer pink in a nicely moisturizing formula, and while it doesn’t last incredibly long, it does keep my lips hydrated for a few happy hours, provides just enough of a tint, and doesn’t in any way dry them out – which is more than can be said for other similar products (*cough Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stains). My next problem after dehydrated lips are dark circles – I haven’t gotten the greatest sleep in the last few weeks – something about not being able to breathe. Stupid colds. I’m usually a devotee of higher priced under eye concealers – YSL Touche Eclat and Dior Skinflash Radiance are both old favorites that come in at $40 and $36 respectively – and they work beautifully, hydrating and concealing and purple-y stains under my eyes, and making me look awake. At $8, Maybelline’s Dream Lumi Concealer and Highlighters are almost as miraculous, and definitely not to be missed. It comes in a few colors, but my favorite is Radiance – a salmony corrector that effectively erases any tired look, and what’s more, lasts all day. I have to say, I think one of my favorite things about it is that because it’s so favorably priced, I’m not afraid to be generous with it, whereas I’m a little more stingy with the YSL and Dior correctors. Finally, eyeliner – without it my eyes look beady and lackluster. I prefer the ease of liquid liner, and this Physician’s Formula Eye Booster eyeliner might be my new favorite. The felt tip draws the thinnest possible line, and it doesn’t budge, even on my very watery eyes. At $9, it’s standard drugstore pricing. It has claims of lengthening lashes, but I haven’t used it long enough to tell yet. If it does work, you can bet I’ll be one happy little camper.

For fun: CatBounce.com. You’re welcome.

And that’s all for this week’s post, people. Until next time, farewell.

It’s a sadly grainy picture, huh? I think it’s time for a new camera. Add it to the list of new things that I desperately need. Needing new things used to be so fun. As a kid, it was like unscheduled Christmas, even if what you needed was boring, like glasses, or new shoes. As an adult, needing new things is just another chunk out of the old bank account.

Ok, so I still like buying shoes. I just bought a pair, in fact. Black patent leather classic pumps from Lane Bryant. I had no idea Lane Bryant even sold shoes until fairly recently. When I took these to the checkout counter, the sales girl told me that they’d started making them for the same reasons as in the movie Kinky Boots. I looked this up when I got home, and was a bit chagrined. I just bought the shoes because they were cute.

Ah well.

On to the report. This week’s report is a bit odd, since I’ve decided to add in a book review that is also a diet report, so I’ve cut out some of the categories.

Mood: I feel like a swirled beverage, or an about-to-be blended soup; something with many components that is on the verge of coming together.  Going to New York City always fills the creative well, and my brain is bubbling with ideas, which is my favorite state of mind. There’s a tingling in my fingers and a fizzing in my bones, and it’s just a matter of channeling it all properly.

Wearing: I bought a Burberry scarf, and it looks terrible on me. I love, love, love the Burberry plaid, but try as I might, khaki/tan is NOT my color, and I just end up looking seasick. Fortunately it’s cashmere, and really warm, so until I give it away, it’ll at least keep me toasty. This is good, because lately my office is essentially a fridge. Other than the scarf, I’ve got my standard uniform of gray cardigan, black tank, black trousers. Snooze fest.

Listening to: I stumbled across Chat – French musician, sweet but not twee, perfect for a Saturday afternoon, and I don’t understand a blessed word. Here’s hoping she’s not inciting to bigotry and violence. (Once again, I’m afraid you’ll have to click over to the blog to listen).

Reading: The 4-Hour Body by Timothy Ferris – an impulse buy on the flight home, and it’s… very much a guy’s book. There are lots of statistics about how to lift more weights, and an entire chapter on improving your batting average. However, the diet plan works like a freaking charm. It’s the easiest diet I’ve ever tried, and I lost four pounds in four days without being hungry once. Don’t bother reading the book, or you’ll just be turned off by his dude-ness. I’ll sum it up for you: eat protein, veggies and legumes at every meal. Shoot for 25 to 30 grams of protein per meal, eat within 30 minutes of waking up, and avoid fruit and dairy. I ignored the no-fruit directive and ate like this:

Here’s the thing, I have the attention span of a gnat when it comes to diets and I’ve never lasted for more than a week on anything. If my blood sugar drops at all, motivation goes right out the window, and I just want a piece of toast with lots of butter – immediately.  As the years have passed, I’ve realized that I have to counteract my lack of will power and make meal choices before I get hungry so that when it gets to that point, I basically already have dinner made for me. This involved a lot of putting meat in the crockpot to cook before I left for work, premade salad mixes from Costco (yes, I used the dressing), and canned beans.

Will it work long term? I don’t know – he allows for a cheat day, which I found to be awesome, and it didn’t effect my loss, but also kind of threw me off track. I really liked that I didn’t get hungry, and my energy levels were immediately through the roof. I never knew how crucial protein was to clear thinking and blood sugar regulation. I mean… I knew, but putting it into practice was eye opening. I didn’t get sick of beans, which was surprising. My two favorite meals turned out to be the most simple: roast chicken on mixed greens with beans, and taco salad (no tortillas, no cheese) with lots of avocado. My least favorite meal was a Thai curry. It was incredibly delicious, but without rice, you can’t eat to saturation point without the flavor becoming overwhelming.

Here’s my menu for this week (for breakfast I have the same thing every day – eggs, beans, salsa, and for lunch I have leftovers from the previous night).

If I stick with it, can I expect to lose 4 pounds a week until I’m able to slip into size 6 jeans? I doubt it. However, I’m fine with anything that leads to a consistent downward trajectory. Keep in mind that I’m quite heavy, and my exercise is limited to sliding across frozen parking lots on the way to my car. But, I’ll keep you updated and start adding “Pounds lost” to the weekly report. In fact…

Pounds lost: 4

So Week 3 was awesome. I spent it in New York City, and it was glorious. I went for Print Source – a trade show for textiles and prints. The booths were great, but the trend seminars were the best part. Trend research is what I spend most of my days doing, so this is my bread and butter. I love, this, stuff. And then my sister flew into town, and my parents were there, and when I was done working, and they were done working, we did awesome things like eat massive amounts of dumplings in Chinatown. Glory.

Mood: The weather in Utah has been ghastly for about a month, the inversion is terrible, and the visibility is like three feet. Ok, maybe a mile or two. To top it off, flu season has hit hard in my ‘hood, and every other person seems to have been struck down by the bug. And….. in spite of it all, I am a bundle of energy. I’ve slept like a rock, been up at the crack of dawn, and have generally felt my best self. I’m pretty thrilled about this, as my experience is that any time I fly my immune system takes a hit. So what’s my secret? No idea. Positive thinking, maybe. I started to get a little paranoid about le germs when I was in New York because the CDC had red dot labeled it as this epicenter of plague. I took all the precautions, used all the hand sanitizers (did you know that if your hands aren’t still wet after 10-15 seconds, you didn’t use enough?) and did all the nutty germaphobic crap that obnoxious people do. And then I took a breath (most likely contaminated, but who knows) and was like… “Self, chill out.” And I did, and I’m fine. These could totally be famous last words. The next time I write to you could be from my death bed. But…. for now, I’m chill. And healthy.

Oh, and a note about the inversion and how it can effect mood. If you’re inclined toward depression, or headaches, or have a weak immune system, consider adding a little extra Vitamin D to your day. Most people don’t get enough as it is. The best source is sunlight, and we don’t get enough sun in normal conditions, much less with this crummy weather. It can help stave off depression, headaches and even help regulate blood sugar levels. Plus, it’s cheap.

Acquiring: One of my favorite new discoveries in New York was the MUJI store. It’s like a Japanese IKEA, but without the furniture. Sort of. And it’s more expensive. Yeah. Anyway, MUJI, in addition to having incredible organization stuffs, has really great office/school supplies. If you know me at all, you know how much I love office/school supplies. It’s so very fitting that I ended up working at a paper company (no, not like Dunder Mifflin). Anyway, I went a little nuts and spent $70 on pens and notebooks. But oh, they are so beautiful. I didn’t take pictures, but I yoinked these off of the MUJI website.

Aren’t they beautiful? And yes, I bought a planner. I had to! It was RED!

Listening to: Medieval choral music. I visited The Cloisters – an offshoot of the Metropolitan Museum of Art located on the tip top western part of Manhattan, up against the river. It’s a huge monastery filled with medieval art, and is really beautiful. It has an interesting history. Read up on it if you’re interested. It is the home of the famous Hunt of the Unicorn tapestries, which are frankly, amazing.

Wearing: This skull shirt. It’s sold out. You can’t have it.

Cooking: Sigh. I’ve gone slow carb/gluten free. It’s the only thing that works for me, and after almost having a full on panic attack on the plane because of the squeeziness of it all, I returned home full of increased motivation to shrink down a few sizes. So I’m making good curries with lean protein and veggies, eating lots of meat + salad combos, and eschewing my beloved toast + butter. The good news, I’m getting tons of fruits and veggies, and I’m allowing myself beans, so things are… moving right along. OH, I WENT THERE.

Wanting: A manicure. I’ve gone all of 2013 without one. WHO AM I ANYMORE?

Vowing: To cut back on not just carbs, but also caps.

Mood: Pretty good, considering the hell that is awaiting me. I have to try and cram a week’s worth of work into one weekend. This might be a short blog post.

Listening: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. I got a set of Sennheiser headphones for Christmas, and they are incredible – the sound quality is just… it’s like sitting in the music.

Wanting: Sleep.

Watching: Finally saw Les Miserables. I cried five times, but didn’t love it. Weird, huh? I thought Eddie Redmayne was the best part of the movie, was underwhelmed by the Thenardiers, and wish that Eponine’s song hadn’t been shortened. It was a beautiful film, but I’d have edited differently.

Wearing: Um… Nikes, yoga pants, a gray Hanes t-shirt, and a gray cardigan. No jewelry. Some variation of this has been my uniform for this whole week, and I know I should probably dress up a bit more for work, but I don’t have anything else that’s clean.

Cooking: Chicken. You take a bunch of chicken thighs, pour over some of Mr. Yoshida’s Gourmet Sauce – stick it in the oven for 40 minutes at 375. Serve chicken with jasmine rice and veggies of your choice. Easiest dinner ever. Everyone loves it. Can’t go wrong. I like mine with a little sriracha sauce.

Reading: I’m still on Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore.

Planning: GOING TO NEW YORK CITY NEXT WEEK.

Dreading: Packing.

Listening to: I know this should be music, and sometimes it is. But beyond the uber chill classical stuff I had going off and on through December I mostly just listened to books. On a slight tangent – I’ve discovered that I can function much better in the morning if I’m distracted by an audiobook. I get much less overwhelmed by my to-do list, and can just get on with it. Beyond my constant rotation of Terry Pratchett’s marvelous Discworld books, I’ve listened to The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce, which was sad, and not as good as the reviews led me to believe, and then this week I’m on to Niall Ferguson’s Civilization: The West and the Rest. It’s better than the title sounds. Also, Ferguson has a Scottish accent, so that’s fun. I am a platinum member of Audible, which means that I get two credits (1 credit is enough for most books) a month for $22. I’ve had my membership for years, and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. If you have a desk job, I could not recommend it more highly.

Watching: Midsomer Murders on Netflix. You guys, I’m hooked. I’m on season 7. I know it’s not the most exciting of shows, but I’m such a huge sucker for a good cozy English murder mystery, and these are so stress free and easy going. I can watch them before bed without any disturbing dreams. Who am I turning into, you ask? Your mom. Just kidding. But I’m getting old.

Wearing: Thiiiis is not a good category. I’m a mess and a half, and have been since oh…. the last month or so. I need a hair cut, a manicure, a pedicure, and a deep soak/scrub. I finally caught up with my eyebrows the other night, more out of fear than anything else, and I have at least kept up with my nightly face regimen, so I’m not breaking out. Small mercies! However, I’m wearing trousers that are too big, a shirt that fits me totally wrong, and I won’t even get into my war with my underpinnings because it is a family friendly blog. But suffice it to say – I’m in dire straights. You guys – I wore furry clogs to church. TWICE. It would help if I finished unpacking. Did I mention I moved? I did. I have the rest of the house unpacked and arranged, but my own room is the last unstyled bastion of packing boxes. It’s as tragic as a 10×14 space can be. I have no idea if that’s the size of my room. I just made that up.

Wanting: I gathered some recent pins from my “Materialistic” Pinterest board…

1. Spiderweb Bohdi Laptop bag, 2. Serefina Healing Cystal necklace, 3. Auden – Amelia II earrings,  4. Land of Nod – Modern Clip Lamp in Gold, 5. Homemade Envelopes made with stamp from BesottedBrand on etsy, 6. Gold lobster door knocker, 7. Tydepool – Brass match holder.

Cooking: For New Years we made potstickers – for wealth! for luck! for the new year! – I still have a house full of people, so I made about 200 of them (potstickers, not people), and I am happy to say that I have mastered the recipe. I can’t give it to you, but I will tell you that the perfect ratio of pork to cabbage is 1 1/2 pounds of pork to two heads of napa cabbage, and that it really helps if you salt and then squeeze/drain the cabbage before beginning. I really wish I’d taken pictures, but when it comes to potstickers in my house, you don’t pause to take pictures. You don’t pause for anything, in fact. If you’ve got to go, you hold it in. If there’s a fire, you dial 911 with one hand, while wielding chopsticks in the other. There are potstickers to be eaten, and if you don’t dive in you might not get any at all.

Reading/Read: Eat to Live, by Dr. Joel Furhman, Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, by Jon Meachum, Mr. Penumbra’s 24-hour Bookstore, by Robin Sloan, and 14, by Peter Clines.

Planning: Will it bore you if I tell you that I plan on organizing? I’m all full of vim and vigor about getting my room in order. In addition to v. & v., I’m full of the motivation provided by not being able to find my pants. The rest of the house is done except for the picture hanging, and I need to decide on a bunch more artwork and print it out – possibly even making some of it. If I do, I’ll put it up so you can see. Do you remember my Radishing posters that I made ages ago? I have a whole series of those, plus a bunch of other pieces in the work that I think would make for some fun wall art. So yeah, excitement awaits. Or not, depending on your point of view.

Dreading: Car madness – my transmission gave me troubles over the Christmas break and will need to be rebuilt at some point. It was cleaned out and flushed and is currently running like a dream, but I was given dire warnings by my mechanic that it’s a state of affairs that will not last. So I’m pinching my pennies in anticipation.

That about sums it up for now – what are your weekend plans? What fun things happened to you this week? And what I am really interested in – what are you reading? Please comment and leave recommendations – I’m super awkward and never know if I should reply to comments, but I LOVE getting them.

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Design is knowing which ones to keep.  – Scott Adams

The longer I’m in design, the more inclined I am to give up on ever truly loving something I’ve done. I’m not talking about the inner critic – although that little bugger does plenty of damage – rather, I suffer from an inability to decide on a personal style. I like too many things! The envy I hold in my heart for people who wake up in the morning knowing exactly what they want for that day is what is going to keep me out of heaven. Not that I stood that great of a chance anyway. But still. You learn to let your own preferences go so that you can create what the client wants. I’ve spent most of my career designing things that are someone else’s passion. The process of creating is what I find interesting. A journey is the destination. The problem though, comes when I set out to do a personal project, like this one. What should my portfolio look like?

How the heck should I know?

It’s comical, but I think I need a design brief for my own work. Failing that, my default becomes minimalistic, because my eyes need a rest. I spend all day up to my ears in swirls, curlicues, and patterns. When I get home I want the design equivalent of a single malt scotch. So, hey ho. I end up with a constantly changing site – which, by the way, is currently in the form of a great template from Brankic. I found it on the ThemeForest site, and so far I’m pretty thrilled with it. I’ll be even more thrilled with it when I’m done changing out the theme defaults with my own stuff. Right now, I’m counting on my utter lack of web traffic to keep this caterpillar under wraps.