I'm making a Monkey

I started knitting a monkey for my oldest friend a LONG time ago and I got frustrated with him and gave up for a while. But today I got a boost of energy and I decided to tackle the giant task once again. It's going pretty well, I hope that I can finish some of my half-finished projects in the coming weeks. For some reason I feel guilty starting new projects when I have a stack of unfinished ones laying around.

I keep getting distracted from finishing this post so I'll wrap it up with some yarn pictures!






xoxoxo
Malori

Hello again!

I don't usually post twice in one day (actually I don't really ever do that). I try to save my excitement about things for a separate post because I'm always worried I'll run out of ideas for posts and won't have anything to give you if I post about my evening activities as they happen. But screw that. I wanted to stop by again tonight and tell you what I've gotten done this afternoon because I AM SO PROUD!

I have owed some people knit goods for EVER now and I finally finished two of my four major projects. I already shared a picture of the flower I knit, that was one of the projects. I attached it to a hair clip and it will be in the mail tomorrow afternoon. The second project I made was this tiny scarf that can be secured with a button or cute brooch for those chilly winter days. It has an ADORABLE checkerboard pattern. I tried to get a picture of it but I don't know how clear it really is.



Also, I studied like crazy for my art history test tomorrow. I'm not so good with dates so I have to put a lot of work into memorization for these tests. Wish me luck! I'm nervous...

I also found time to paint my nails, clean my kitchen, vacuum, write letters to my friends, and cook a DELICIOUS dinner. I didn't take pictures of it because I literally inhaled it but I wanted to share the recipe because my roommate and our friend Eric (who both make fun of literally everything I eat) even complimented me on how delicious this pizza was. Here's what you need...

-Pizza crust (I use the Jewel Osco brand. It's in the refrigerated section, you just break open the tube it comes in a roll it into the pan)
-Pesto
-Mozzarella
-Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausage (I got mine from Trader Joes)
-Onion (optional)

1) Roll out the pizza crust. You can make it thick crust or thin crust. I prefer mine thin
2) Generously apply the pesto to the crust. You're using pesto instead of sauce so make sure it's evenly coated otherwise the pizza will taste bland in the spots you missed.
3) Sprinkles the mozzarella over the pesto.
4) Cut the chicken sausage and apply evenly throughout the pizza. I prefer thinner slices of the sausage but it's really a personal choice.
5) Cut up little slivers of onion and strategically place them around the pizza. If you don't like onion you don't need to add them. I just love onion and had some leftover in my fridge that I wanted to use.
6) Place the pizza in the oven for 15-18 minutes (or as long as the packaging tells you to cook the crust).

That's it! It was WONDERFUL. I think that the next time I make it I'll add more ingredients. I firmly believe that you can put just about anything on pizza crust. I think that this particular recipe would taste really good with some tomato on it. I also really like garlic and I'd be curious to see how garlic would taste on it. Go and make some, it's really yummy and affordable.

That's all for now, I'll be back tomorrow!
xoxoxo
Malori

Three Things

Hello :). I'm just updating quickly today because I have to study for a few big tests I have today and tomorrow!

I wanted to share my three things inspired by Promise Tangeman (and also seen on Run With Scissors)

1. Say something nice about something or someone.
2. Link to a cool new website or company that you have found or like.
3. Give a shout out to an inspirational person or blog that you follow.

1. I don't know why but I'm having such a hard time choosing just ONE person to say something nice about. I'll list a few :)
My roomie is a huge nerd but I'll keep her around.

My best friend got a sweet gift in the mail today and I am so glad it made her happy!

This boy is going to get about a billion bow ties from me when I start sewing.

I miss these fools.


2. How do you even choose just one!? My most recent obsession is Johnny Cupcakes. I also really like shopping here and window shopping here.

3. I have about a million favorite blogs but I don't think I've mentioned all of them yet. I've been really into Keiko Lynn's blog recently. Her style is so beautiful and she's living my dream life!

xoxoxo
Malori

Johnny Cupcakes

Yesterday I was researching for a project for my Intro to Marketing class when I came across the Johnny Cupcakes website. I've been familiar with the brand for years but I've never invested any time into learning about how Johnny Cupcakes came to be. After I read his story, I was so inspired that I knew I had to share with all of you :).


If you have a spare moment, I would really recommend reading the entire story here. But if you don't, I'll recap the best I can!

The company started out of the suitcase of a young band member who always knew he didn't want to work a 9-5 job. With virtually no advertising, he created a multi-million dollar business that stays 100% true to his original vision. He dropped out of college after one semester because he didn't drink or party and realized that college was too much about the social mishaps than the learning. I'm not planning on dropping out of college, but I am in awe of his ability to create his wonderful business in the way he did. Please go read and fall in love with his success story.

Do any of you ever think about what your success story would be? I think about it all the time because I'm a dreamer.

I'll see you tomorrow :). I have oodles of homework that I need to catch up on so that I can have fun when my weekend rolls around.

xoxoxo
Malori

The Fort

This weekend was so much fun. I really love being in college and having the freedom to do ridiculous things on a whim. After the adventures that made up my Friday night (Matt & Kim!) I was way too tired to go out on Saturday. So my roommate and I decided that we would stay in, eat Digiorno, and build a SWEET fort in our living room. I honestly got so lucky this year with my living situation. Most of my friends despise their roommates or live with freaks but someone I ended up meeting my best friend. We do the stupidest stuff together and I feel so blessed to have that :). Having said that...here's the breakdown of our evening...

We went to Noodles and Company to munch on the limited edition summer dish that is constantly on my mind. Seriously, this stuff is DELICIOUS. If you live close to a Noodles & Co. I demand that you go and try the Lemon Asparagus Linguine IMMEDIATELY!

After Noodles, we stopped by the grocery store to pick up some Digiorno pizza (it's not delivery...it's Digiorno) and on the way out stumbled onto what is quite possibly the best thing in the world...

THE FUNKY FACE DISGUISES! There is a gumball machine filled with FAKE FACIAL HAIR! That's right people. Without hesitation, we quickly purchased some mustaches so that our evening would be complete... There are no pictures of me with mine on because when I opened the clear plastic guy that held my mustache...things went terribly terribly wrong... I was in the bathroom (so I could use the mirror to position my new 'stache) and I took the top off the little plastic bubble. It was a bit more difficult to open than I had previously suspected and when I got the top off the mustache was GONE! I looked slightly to my left and saw the poor little guy floating in the toilet. My mustache went rogue guys... Needless to say, I wasn't going to put the mustache dripping with toilet water onto my upper lip. So I bid adieu to the little guy and carried on with my evening. Side note: I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life. Seeing the pedophile mustache floating in my toilet was HYSTERICAL. But here's a picture of my pretty roomie with her luscious 'stache.

We pulled out all of our extra sheets and a bunch of pretty fabric we had and set to work building the fort...

First came the roof...

Then the front walls...


(excuse the mess. It's hard to keep a construction zone clean)

We took a break to eat our Digiorno because building a sweet fort can really take it out of you! Our neighbor came over to ask us a question and was forced to come in and admit how cool our fort was (he didn't seem to think it was nearly as awesome as we did). He ended up staying around most of the night. I'd like to think it's because forts are cool but it may be because my roommate and I were acting pretty goofy and I suppose that would be entertaining for an outsider to watch... We're a little weird.

After we finished our pizza we hung out in the fort for a bit deciding how to decorate it. We started making and hanging up pretty paper stars...


Then we got a little bit carried away with the tape. (Does anyone watch Friends? Remember the episode when Rachel and Monica lose their apartment to Joey and Chandler because Joey and Chandler know Rachel and Monica better? Well at the beginning of that episode Rachel buys tape because Joey and Chandler had used all of their other tape making tape faces. I gotta admit, it's hours of fun)


When we were done with the tape and the stars, we used some extra fabric to make pretty head wraps and took a lot of goofy pictures of ourselves.




Finally we were all tired out so we watched a movie in our new fort and went to bed.

Have any of you built a fort recently? If so, do you have pictures? I'd LOVE to see what you did. I don't think you're ever too old to do silly things with your friends :).

I have a really exciting post about one of my idols tomorrow. I can't wait to tell you all about him.
xoxoxo
Malori

Circus

"All eyes on me in the center of the ring just like a circus!"

I watched Project Runway the other day and they had a challenge based around the circus and I have not been able to get it off my mind since!! So your sugar for this week is the circus. I'm fascinated by the colors, patterns, and creepy interest that the circus provides. So inspirational!













xoxo
Malori

Matt & Kim

Last night was WONDERFUL! I have a fantastic older brother, a lovely roommate, and a new found adoration for dancing obnoxiously at concerts.

My older brother goes to school about an hour away from me (how odd that two Arizona babies would choose to go to school so far away yet so close to each other, right?). Every year his school has a free concert in the fall and in the spring for its students. Last year the spring concert featured T-Pain. This year's fall show featured Gym Class Heroes, and the spring concert was Matt & Kim. Brock, being the awesome brother that he is, invited me to both of these concerts but due to weather and sleep deprivation I missed the Gym Class concert. I was NOT going to make the same mistake for Matt & Kim. If you have not heard of this dynamic duo, watch this music video before you keep reading.



Matt and Kim are SO energetic and put on a lovely show. It was so much fun to just let loose and dance around like an idiot. I used to go to shows all the time in high school but now that I'm poor I can't really afford to do much of anything. At the beginning of the show, Matt threw a towel offstage and I CAUGHT IT so it's now it's officially our favorite decoration in our apartment. After the show, Matt and Kim jumped off the stage into the crowd and danced with everyone. My roommate danced with Kim and I stole a few hugs from Matt. Brock asked Matt for a drumstick and he was like "Of course dude! One second!" and ran back to the stage to get it for him. All in all I'd say it was a FABULOUS evening.

Here's a picture of me and my roommate with Matt. Excuse the sweat, we worked hard during their set!



Going to an art school without an actual campus sort of leaves me without the normal college experience. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my school and I wouldn't trade it for anything, but sometimes it's nice to sit in a tiny dorm room in the middle of a huge campus and have a football player hand you a drink and sweet talk you. I had a college-tastic evening last night.

Tonight my roommate and I are taking it easy. We're going to watch some chick flicks, eat chocolate, and do crafty things. I cannot waittt! I'll be sure to share photos on Monday.

xoxo
Malori

Writing, writing, writing some more

This morning I woke up and decided that I would finally take the time to organize my most recent journal. I realize that so many bloggers do that "art journalism" thing which seems pretty cool but is definitely not my style. For some reason I am very adamant about keeping my doodles separate from my words. Words have such a powerful meaning to me and when i read my old entries I don't want to be distracted by doodles. That's what my sketchbook is for! Maybe someday I'll give an art journal a try but for now I'm content with letting my words have the spotlight :).

As I was reading through some old entries I came across one that I wanted to share. When I journal, I'll write on whatever is within reach and eventually will glue it into a notebook or something of the sort so that it won't get lost in the shuffle of life. I have a lot of printed conversations, thoughts, and questions that needed to find their place within my handwritten sentiments. I save EVERYTHING. When I say that, I mean everything. Facebook conversations, texts, napkins with notes written on them, etc. When people write me cards, I photocopy the card I write back to them, specify dates, times, and names in the margins and staple it to the original card so that I can look back one day and read complete conversations. I love the idea of keeping such a detailed account of my life. One day I think it'd be really cool for my kids to read it and see how I became the person I am. Back to the subject at hand though! About two years ago my dad gave me this list of things that he wanted to do every day. I'm pretty sure he found it somewhere online but it's so inspirational. I try to live by little things like this. Here goes...

Take a 10 to 30 minute walk every day and while you walk, smile.

Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

When you wake up in the morning, complete the following statement, "My purpose is .... today"

Live witht he three "E's", energy, enthusiasm, and empathy and the three "F's", faith, family, and friends.

Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of six.

Dream more while you are awake

Try to make at least three people smile every day

Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn, pass all your tests. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but lessons you learn will last a lifetime

Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.

Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

Don't take yourself so seriously. No one does.

You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Make peace with your past so it won't mess up the present.

Don't compare your life with others, you have no idea what their journey is about.

Burn the candles, use the nice sheets. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

Forgive everyone for everything.

What other people think of you is none of your business.

Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.

However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will stay in touch.

Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful, or joyful.

The best is yet to come.

No matter how you feel, get up, get dressed, and show up.

Do the right thing.

Call your family often.

Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: "I am thankful for..." and "today I accomplished..."

Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

Enjoy the ride. Remember that this is not Disneyland and you certainly don't want a fast pass. Make the most of it and enjoy the ride


I hope that those are as inpirational to you have they have been to me :). Do any of you keep journals? If so, how do do it? How much do you document? I'd love to hear from you!

xoxo
Malori

Running Behind...

I feel like I've shared so many other blogs with you recently, but that's not going to stop me from sharing yet another regular read. Every day I like to stop by Smile and Wave to see what's going on in the fabulous life of Rachel. She has two beautiful kids, a ridiculous amount of talent, and a good eye for all things inspirational and wonderful. She recently posted a quick little questionnaire and I wanted to fill it out for myself and extend the invitation to you as well! If you answer the questions, leave me a comment with a link to the post so that I can get to know you a little better :).


1. When do you feel happiest?
Being a homebody I'd say I'm happiest when I'm snuggled up with a good project (or book...or man) just enjoying what I'm doing. I also adore that sunshine :)


2. How do you take care of yourself?
I have a lot on my plate pretty much all the time. In order to keep it all balanced, I try to keep some sort of consistency throughout my days. I take a lot of baths, read great books, knit, bake, exercise, and watch movies. I think it's really important to set aside time for yourself so whenever things begin to feel overwhelming, I take a step back and take care of myself!

3. Are you internally (by yourself) or externally (by others) motivated?
It's a combination of both. I definitely have a strong drive and a lot of determination that comes from within but I also love to prove people wrong. So whenever I come across someone who doubts my ability to succeed, I take a mental note and set out to show them how wrong they are. I'm a little bit competitive :)

4. What do you do for fun?
Big question! I love all things crafty, knitting, swimming, road trips, cooking, movie marathons with my roomie, taking silly pictures of myself, scouring the internet for inspiration, exercising, playing catch, going on picnics, reading in the park, and soo much more.

5. What intimidates you?
I am intimidated by new things. That sounds silly because I love trying new things, but it takes a LOT of positive self-talk for me to actually step outside my comfort zone. I like my routine...I'm kind of a grandma

6. What is something you're proud of?
I'm proud of myself because I do what I say I'm going to do. I made a decision two years ago that I was going to stop saying "I wish" unless I actually planned to do something about it and I've been following through ever since. It's not easy!

7. Finish this sentence. I never _____________.
would have guessed that I would be living in Chicago going to an art school for college. I guess you never really know what life has in store for you.

8. Favorite vacation spot.
It's cliche but I adore California. I've been going there for vacations my whole life and no matter where I go, it is still my favorite place to be.

9. Today is a (rate from 1 - 10).
6 (I'm feeling a little under the weather)

10. Finish this sentence. If you knew me really well you'd know _____________.
ooo this is a tough one...I suppose I'll finish it with "I'm not going to stop until I'm at the top".

I also wanted to share with you some work that I have been doing for class. We photographed our projects in my 3-D design class on Tuesday and I want to show you all how I spend my time.

The first project we had to do was sort of an introductory project. We had to choose an object that signified something about our personalities (light bulb=optimism) then build a wire and plaster form to fit around it, either a metal or plastic form for around that, and finally a wooden structure to house all the other forms. Sort of a nesting-doll type situation. The theme of mine ended up being "go green" or however you'd like to phrase it. It wasn't planned that way but that's definitely the vibe I ended up with.



The second project we did was an exploration of body space. We were to examine body movement and how we alter the space on/around our bodies then build something to signify that. For this project, I thought about what most often alters my body space and I realized that as an artist, it is whatever medium I choose to work with. So I decided to make gloves that would fit perfectly over my hands out of crayon, then draw with them. After a lot of failed attempts and burning my hands more times than I'd care to count, I came up with three left crayon hands. They're really neat :)


I'm off to tackle a lengthy to-do list for the rest of the afternoon. Seems like my weekends are full of those...

See you all tomorrow :)
xoxoxoxo
Malori

April Playlist :)

April is almost over and I need to bring you your monthly playlist! I have been listening to all kinds of new music and I can't wait to share it with you :). If you're a new reader, I have to warn you, my playlists are not cohesive at all. Usually it's a jumble of songs that tickle my fancy on the day that I compile them for you. Having said that...enjoy!


April Showers

source
1. In the Next Room By: Neon Trees
2. Sweeter By: Jess Penner
3. Disease By: Matchbox 20
4. Touch the Sky By: Kanye West
5. Little Wing By: Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
6. Down in a Cold Dirty Well By: Justin Nozuka
7. Right as Rain By: Adele
8. The Girl From Ipanema By: Frank Sinatra
9. Hollywood Nights By: Bob Seger
10. You'll Find a Way By: Santogold


Enjoy!

In other news, I wanted to thank you all for your feedback. You're wonderful and my little heart is all filled up with my love for you!

I'll see you tomorrow
xoxoxo
Malori

Design for Mankind

Hey kids :)

I wanted to share a few quick things.

1) The Ring a Day project:




I stumbled onto this intriguing project on one of my favorite blogs and had to share. It's so simple, just a ring a day. But the materials that are used are awesome and so inspiring. These are a few of my favorites...


2) Design for Mankind

This blog is WONDERFUL. I love pretty much everything she posts. It is full of inspiration, unique projects, struggling/accomplished artists, and cool photography. I'm obsessed, and you should be to. So go forth!

3) I have acquired some new followers and I couldn't be more excited about it :).

Hello new friends! As I said a few days ago, I'm planning another giveaway for when I reach 100 followers via google friend connect. So spread the word and be sure to keep stopping by. I'm going to post the giveaway the moment I notice my 100th follower!

4) I'm curious how you feel about my blog. I'm nearing my 200th post and I want to know what I'm doing wrong or right. If you could take a few seconds and leave a comment telling me things you would like to see more or less of I'd love it. If you want to be anonymous, feel free to leave the feedback on my formspring. Thanks in advance, it really means a lot.

I'll be back tomorrow with some pictures of what I've been working on recently.
xoxoxo
Malori