Waves....

An undulating wave will eventually break and crash into the shore. To watch this is one of my favorite things. Yeah, it might sound weird but the way the water moves is utterly amazing. Millions of molecules moving together as one, creating one of the most powerful forces on Earth, water. Simple H2O. It is able to create canyons and is the supporter of life. The best part of waves occurs when you are body surfing in them. Have you ever done it? If not you are missing out. It is one thing when you are on a board but actually throwing your physical body into it is a whole other story. In these moments I am one with the world. At least it feels that way. ;)



I often feel that creativity for me comes in waves. It has never really been a constant. Ultimately I get burnt out, though I have found ways to combat this. Lately I have had a bit of a creative rush. Coming up with all sorts of things. I’ve been doing these simple drawings with black pen. I plan on painting these but they are added below so you can check them out. I also have been making some jewelry. I took a picture of two of the pairs of earrings I made recently. Those are also shown below. (said pictures will actually be put up tonight)

One last tidbit that is kind of unrelated. I am a monstrous UCF fan. It is my Alma mater and I do love it so! Last week we had our bowl game. Alas, we did not win. It was a great game regardless, and I had a ton of fun. However, I want to show one of my friend’s extreme creativity. She designed a new Knightro hat. Knightro is our amazing mascot. The hat she designed was super adorable and people loved it. Here is a pic of it! And one of the rest of us at the game.

Awesome hat and maker. :)

Intimidating KNIGHTRO!

Before the game!

Myself + friends+ touchdown=this....

Anticipation

I know most people are anxiously awaiting Christmas. Well, maybe not people so much as children. Children are counting down the days until they see all the wonderfully wrapped presents under the Christmas tree. Christmas is a holiday with an incredible amount of waiting. After all the season no longer starts at Thanksgiving but instead the day after Halloween. People start putting up lights and trees. And it gets colder, well sometimes, Florida is very very temperamental. lol. You get the idea though.

This year I have not been anticipating Christmas as I normally do. I normally have a countdown to it. As I've gotten older though I am just not as interested in it. I love the true reason for the season. I think part of the reason for my apathy though is the simple fact that my brother is over in Japan. It just doesn't feel the same as it used to.

What I am anticipating though is my trip to Europe. I can not wait to visit Barcelona and Rome. With two of the most amazing girls I've ever known. It will be fun! I have found a website I liked. It is AWESOME! Hope you enjoy.

Ho, Ho, Ho.....Santa's Elves

I love the Christmas season. For so many reasons I can't even count. One small reason is the weather. With the weather rolls in my need to bake. Or maybe I should say obsession to bake. I have to make something. Always. It has to be done this time of year. I remember last year hosting an assortment of friends, watching White Christmas, and baking in mass quantities. I absolutely loved it.

This year was a little different. I sometimes have a little down time at work. Because of this downtime, I think about lots of random things. You see Laura and I wanted to bake. Bake in mass amounts. We decided we were going to on Tuesday night. Tuesday is actually my Saturday and she just thought it would be fun. Well, Monday this amazing idea pops in my head that I'm pretty sure Santa himself inspired. He said to bring the spirit of Christmas to Mattress Firm. So I took those cookies that Laura and I made that night.....Chocolate chip (Santa's Favorite!!!!) and bestowed them with milk to the Mattress Firm's in Pinellas County. With an accompaning note. It took me a total of 2 1/2 hours to go to all the stores. Honestly though, never had so much fun. I love surprises and I love surprising people. It was an amazing success. Though I did an awful job hiding my tracks. Everyone found out it was me. I guess elves are not very good at being ninja's.

Tonight, I was still in the baking mood. And have made seven...that's right....SEVEN batches of cookies. With possibly one more to do. I made three batches of chocolate chip, sugar cookies, and pumpkin oatmeal raisin cookies. The recipes for the easy sugar cookies and pumpkin oatmeal raisin cookies can be found on allrecipes.com. They were delicious. I have bagged them all up. Three choc. chip, 2 sugar and 2 oatmeal in individual bags. They will be going to my coworkers tomorrow night at our Christmas party. I believe I have now satisfied my obsessive need to bake.

However, Laura and I watched Julie and Julia. It was actually way better than I was expecting. I'd heard some not so good things about it. I absolutely loved it. I really was not sure I would. Although, I really do feel Amy Adams and Of course Meryl Streep are super de dupper talented. I highly recommend it to anyone. Especially if you are in any way a fan of cooking. I am really thinking about trying to conquer some higher cuisine. Maybe even try French cooking. I am petrified of messing up though. I am such a perfectionist. Aside from the fact that the diet I should be on should reduce the amount of butter I'm eating. Not triple it. lol. All in all though, I kind of had a perfect Saturday night in. Baking cookies, watching Julie and Julia and previous having dinner with the best friend. The funny thing is my day was only so, so. Proves that Julie and Juila was right. Cooking makes everything else go away. :)

Let's go shopping....

*Spoilers about Project Runway winner*

Oh, reality television. At one time, I really loved the Real World, America’s Next Top Model and a little Rock of Love. However, these shows bore me miserably now. There are a few reality shows that I consider high quality. Specifically the ones that are artistic competitions like Design Star and Project Runway. Project Runway has always been my favorite.

I think the reason for this is two-fold. One reason I love it, has a lot to do with the fact that when it comes to fashion I feel everyone can be a qualified judge. With art, film, or cooking there is a lot of learning that goes behind it when it comes to technique and concepts. There is a certain amount of that when it comes to clothing but overall it is more relatable. After all, we live in it everyday. When watching a cooking show, we can’t really judge because we can’t taste. Even with interior design shows it is hard to get the full sense of the space of the rooms without stepping in there. But fashion is much more immediate. So for that reason I love it. My other reason for loving the show is it so not about drama. I loved ANTM, but the girls were always so bitchy. It centered on drama as opposed to the creative process. Project Runway does have some drama but no other show goes into the creative process and editing nearly as much. It has and always will be my favorite because of this. The process of art is what is intriguing.

So while watching the show is fun, who I want to win never does. Of six seasons my favorite has won once. Though at least one of my favorites, I normally have three, makes the top three and goes to Bryant Park. That is a small win. I really wanted Carol Hannah to win this year. I really want to own some of her dresses. However, these designers charge so much. I don’t know that I can justify it. Still check out her stuff.
Cute Dresses!
Two of my favorites from the season that she did.



I think that is all I have to say for now.

Just Get Creative.....

I am a summer girl through and through. I love the color palette, the clothes, the weather, the beach, the long days. Just absolutely everything really. This is largely why I live in Florida probably. I get summer all year round. Even in the middle of winter, I can sometimes be wearing tank tops and shorts.

Despite all this, there are times I do love fall and winter. Primarily for one reason and one only, the holidays. The holidays are the best. Your family actually gets together and speaks to each other. You share meals and there is gift giving. Fun is normally had by all. Halloween precedes all this. My Halloween night was pretty lame. However, the two parties I went to previously were pretty awesome. For the first party I did something pretty simple. I was a fairy. It was fun and cheap. I put the most time and money into the second costume. My friends and I decided to do a Toy Story theme. I was going to be Jessie, the cowgirl but decided instead to be the alien. Pictures following. I strongly encourage making your costume. Go for something a little different. It is way more fun. It is also a great way to think of things in a new way.

Speaking of holidays, check out these awesome themed earrings. The Christmas tree ornaments and holly bracelet are my favorite.
Way cute Kits!





So participate in the holiday cheer. Get creative!

See the sights.....

So last week I went to Miami. I've lived in Florida for a total of 23 years of my life and last week was my first week ever visiting. Mind you, I had driven through it on my way to the keys but I don't count that because all I saw then was the interstate.

The skyline of cities never ceases to amaze me. Miami was certainly no different. We got in around nine pm or so. The city lit was soooooo gorgeous. The city was bustling and alive. We went to Miami Beach to a cute little art deco hotel. It was a bit of a hole in the wall but it was cheap and fit the bill. My friends and I were there to experience the beach, not a nice hotel room.

We went out the first night to several bars. The first was a hole in the wall and quite possibly the dingiest bar I've ever been in. We went there on a suggestion from a local since BED, a club filled with beds (and very appropriate for all us mattress salesmen) was closed. We had a drink out of politeness mostly. Then moved to a wonderful little Irish Pub where the bartender was good about not going light on the Captain. ;) After that we went to Twist. A gay bar. I never met more straight men in my life. If they really were actually straight and just not searching for a better tip. The bartender was pretty cute.......

The second day it rained. We lamented not being able to hit the beach. So instead we hung out in the hotel a bit. The rain let up but not the clouds. So we went to the outside mall and ate at the Van Dyke Cafe. A picture of our delicious food follows. lol. Then we did a bot of looking around. A store with tons of wigs was kind of awesome (shown below) There were art galleries as part of the mall. Saw some cool stuff and some crappy stuff too. Then we went for a walk on the beach and got ready for dinner. We went to this amazing Greek restaurant called Opa. It was pretty much required that you dance on the table before you get your food. I highly recommend it. Were going to go to BED but decided to go to Mango's and salsa instead. They had performers, shown below. So that was fun too.

We hit the beach the last day before we left. It was fun. Traveling is always extremely inspiring. It comes highly recommended to all of you. Pick a place and go. For your own sake.


It was super delicious fettuccine Alfredo.


In the art gallery we went in. Kind of awesome fish.


Not going to lie, the necks creep me out.


The belly dancer from Opa was awesome. She made us all dance!


The dancer from Mango's.


Good times.

What do you want to say?

What can I say? I love type and these were super cute solutions that the folks at print liberation came up with. Hope you like them. That said, I have a soap box I need to climb onto.

Art can be made for many, many reasons. It can be made primarily for financial benefits. That would include graphic design and some commissioned work. It can be made purely as aesthetic decoration. There is some art made specifically to look good in a home. Lastly it could be made with social change in mind. You can make art with the hope that it will change the world. I think that is what the folks at CompassionArt are doing. I strongly suggest you check them out.

You can make art from the heart. Either presenting something that is emotionally charged in some way or something to elicit change. I'm not saying a painting will change someone's mind. I do think that it can get them thinking. I saw a painting once that challenged my core values. So, I started thinking some things over in my life. Maybe I am the only one so greatly affected but I doubt it.

The next time you are doodling, maybe think a little bit more about what visual message you are sending out. I think the things we put out in the world are important. Not to say we can change someone's opinion but we can open discussion. Artist's can illicit change. We just have to put in the effort.

Soap box done. :) I've been wanting to paint like crazy lately, hoping I have some time to soon.

Heel, toe, heel, toe, heel, toe. Go, go, go!

I made this list upon graduation from college. 100 things I want to accomplish in life. Corny I know. However, when you have life in front of you and absolutely no direction it seems like a good idea. My thought process was if I accomplish at least 2 things on the list a year, I would be able to do everything before I kick the bucket. God willing.

I am not about to write the list out here. I doubt very much you are interested in such a thing. By the way, these goals were pretty wide in spectrum from getting my belly button pierced to getting married. Variety in importance is essential for this kind of list.

One of my goals was to run a marathon or do a triathlon. Why? Very few people have the drive or focus to do something so rigorous. Also, I just think it sounds cool to say, “I ran a marathon.” When someone says that I am filled with a small sense of awe. Therefore, I want to be able to say it.

I started training at the beginning of 2009 to do it January 2010. It didn’t work out because of health issues. So, I’m going to try again. I have great hopes.

I share this story not to brag. I encourage you to do the same thing. What things are you striving for in life? Make a list of 50 goals if 100 is too many. After the list is complete, figure out what you can accomplish by this Christmas and let me know what you did. Remember nothing is frivolous on this list. Wouldn’t the world be a better place if people stopped floating through life and truly focused on what was important to them?

Inspiration.....

My goodness life gets extremely busy sometimes. Sometimes it is incredibly difficult to get inspired. I often find that when I'm really trying to come up with a good idea, nothing will come. When I am no longer trying is when the best ideas come to me. This sometimes includes the middle of the night or in the middle of a conversation. Is this true for you at all?

How awesome...

Sometimes I forget how crazy and awesome God is. I say this because there are times when He seems pretty chill. Like he's not really active in our lives. Like life just goes on and on and on. When I'm really honest though and look at who God is and what He has created I'm in awe. How can we not bow down and worship.

I know God is amazing and that He loves us and created us. All He really asks for is our hearts. Yet many of us still run, myself included.

What do they have in common?

Art, movies, and even the comfort of your bed are all subjective. That is how they are all similar. When it comes to these things though even if you get a friends opinion, you may end up with a completely opposite view. Each person creates their own opinion and it's unlikely that you both will feel exactly the same. That said I've been very disappointed in the movies I've seen lately. For those of you who know me, that's saying a lot. When it comes to movies I expect two things. I expect that you hold my attention the entire movie which is pretty easy to do and that whatever genre it is in, it excels in. Meaning if your a chick flick, follow the rules and make me ride the emotional roller coaster. Romantic comedy and comedy, make me laugh. Drama give me a little intensity and so on. Lately the movies I've seen are so mediocre. I really am just disappointed in the deteriorating quality of entertainment these days. It seems as if a lot of movies are no longer well written. This really only applies to half the movies out there. There is some good quality. I just wish that people wouldn't be so satisfied with the mediocre movies because maybe then we would get higher quality film. I recently watched Amelie again. They way they altered the color and the adorable story was awe inspiring. I loved Atonement with it's off kilter story and the beautiful panoramas and way the camera moved through the shots. There are so many great movies out there, I just wish they were easier to find.

One suggestion for you, watch Project Runway and Design Star when they are on. They really get my creative juices running. Look at what they did with newspaper on Project Runway. It's awesome, so try and watch the rerun. Even more so, look at some of the fashion from past seasons. Some of what was made for that show is so creative.

Just a quote that makes me think a little harder. ""Push the envelope", you know who uses that phrase? People who don’t have the guts or the brains to work inside the system."

Skelly

Continuation of the Red, White, and Blue.....

Washington DC is beautiful and quite inspiring. The whole trip was amazingly fun. The photo above I took during a beautiful sunset above the clouds. It is something I recommend everyone do when they fly at some point. It was awesome. Laura and I thought the flight there lasted forever, we were just that excited. When we landed we took the shuttle to the train station. We took the train (something neither of us had done before) to the Subway. Switched subway stations, then because our subway station was closed for the weekend, a bus to the station. Then walked to our hotel. Transport didn't get much easier but we had fun anyway. The monuments and memorials were so much different from what I imagined. I fell in love with the architecture there not the not-so-nice people. The city is really beautiful. I mean the top picture is of the subway and I think that was compelling. There is so much history in the city, I felt like I learned a ton by going there.
This little pepper above was something random I did. I went to Chili's for dinner with some friends. They were charging a dollar to color the pepper as a donation for St. Jude's Hospital. I went ahead and did it. Came up with this little guy with just green, red, blue and yellow crayons. So even when your not feeling super inspired, go back to the basics. You might enjoy what you come up with.

The True Red, White and Blue....

This past Labor Day Weekend was kind of awesome! I went to Washington D.C. with my best friend Laura as a late Birthday weekend for the two of us. We both have birthdays in August. It was a treat for ourselves. Plus despite the fact that we are super close, we had never been on a trip together. This was our first and it was certainly interesting. Maybe not an epic adventure like moving across country. But certainly an adventure nonetheless. Especially since the subway station by our hotel was closed all weekend.

I'll write more detail another day. This is just a visual snack. The second to last picture was taken at the Lincoln Memorial. The rest were from the Washington monument.

Perspective.

Perspective in photography has everything to do with the angle you shoot something at.
Perspective in life is so much more complicated.

It's something I've been contemplating the past few days. How perspective can change and how no two people have the exact same perspective. One of my coworkers oddly brought it up today. She was called in for jury duty and was almost part of a manslaughter case. She was talking about how past experiences, change your perspective on things later in life. It made me think about the time before I knew God was real. My perspective on life was completely different. It wasn't until after God became part of my life, that I really started to look around at the people around me. Previously, it was easy before to make it all about me and that still is the case sometimes. Yet, striving for something more has made my life completely different. Just a little food for thought.

I attached some pictures that had different perspective too. Hope you enjoy!

"Way Down Upon the Suwanee River"

I always loved singing that silly song. "Way down upon the Suwanee River" and it was so cool finally seeing the actual river in June. I took this photograph while I was there and thought it'd be good to share. :) If you ever get a chance to see it, do it! It was an extremely nice hike even though I was alone. The mosquitos were very unwelcome. However, that is normal and expected with a river. At least that's true for me.

Running, running, running......

Photos I've taken over the past month, I thought would be good to share. I also made a logo for my blog. It was necessary for my designer sensibilities. So check out the banner. :)

Other than that I felt I should share one more reason why I created this blog. I feel often like the journey we take in life should be documented. That is why we create videos, take photographs, journal. We document out lives. When it comes to letting my creative juices run, I'm also going to be sharing the important things in my life. So sometimes you may just find fun new recipes, places I've been I think you should go to, or just other random news. Just wanted to give you a heads up.

Juices Run

Hello.

I'm a little intimidated to start this, this whole blogging process. I'm not entirely sure why. Part of it is that I don't feel like I'm a very good writer. That is generally what bloggers do, right? They write about their opinions and issues and other such things. That is not why I wanted to start this blog. That is not my goal at all. So you may be wondering then. Why?

The point of my blog is simple. And it ties into the title. Juices Run. And you are now thinking, Sarah what the crap are you talking about? The Juices I'm referring to are not grape, cranberry, or orange. I am talking about Creative Juices. I have for the past 10 years of my life in some way dedicated myself to art. Maybe not the way true creative geniuses do, because I am a far cry from that, but I have always felt that art has been an outlet for me. To somehow display some message, some feeling I'm going through, or to give me peace of mind. Art has always helped me to relax and taught me to enjoy looking at something from a different perspective. On this blog I want to do just that.

I want to let my creative juices flow. So sometimes that means I'll be posting photos, drawings, design work. Maybe sometimes you will just find some random thoughts and words strewn together that somehow resembles something of my day. I profess, I have always felt my writing to be lacking. Being an avid reader of great literature, I know writing is not my deal. But still, there is no hurt in dabbling I feel. Otherwise I would not have gone through and made this blog.

My plan is to create a sketchbook. Yes, I can make a book thanks to bookbinding class. I will be processing my life in it. And I will be posting parts of it here. Sometimes I'll just be sharing what I do. Overall, this blogs purpose is to keep me stimulated creatively. Maybe it will inspire you to do the same. I hope you enjoy reading it.