All of that was back in the days when I wasn’t concerned with life. All I cared about was making my art look pretty and I guess I still care about that, in some fundamental way. I miss those times of pure, un-judged creativity. I could draw a million horses and no one would care! No one would say, “you draw horses too much”. Nope, I was free to create WHATEVER I wanted. I drew maps of made-up worlds, I wrote a dumb novel that no one should ever read, and I painted horse eyes on big ass canvases. I will strive to do this again! Paint horse eyes on big ass canvases. But in the meantime – I have some small bristol and some nifty little black art pens. Using pens is hard. Harder than drawing on the computer but yet…also much easier in some ways AND much more freeing (oh ho ho corny corny me) but really, it’s freeing. I can see that the physical pen in my hand is making a physical line that is a creation of the motion of my arm/fingers/body. Yes yes, the wacom tablet requires movement of my limbs as well – but it’s not the same. I can hit apple Z in Photoshop and all of my mistakes are undone, but with ink and paper – well hell, I’m screwed – or my favorite part of being an artist – take the mistake and make it work.

I guess my whole point of this post is – it feels good to use paper again. It even feels dangerous. There’s no easy escape from mistakes and carelessness like there is on the computer. There is a commitment to decisions and there is this thrill of creating something beautiful – something to touch instead of save as jpg. This is nice. I’m rusty though – I think I was better at drawing as a 16 year old, but this will change. I have my paints, some old canvases, my bristol – whatever. I will be drawing more – IRL.

Here is the horse I just drew tonight – a horse yes, and sadly, I forget how to draw horses! I used to be around them all the time – riding, cleaning, feeding them…but that is no more and that makes me terribly sad. Drawing them doesn’t come so naturally anymore, but I’m sure, with some practice, I will get better. I want to come up with pieces for some sort of show or exhibition at a little coffee shop or something. My choice subject would either be food, pretty girls, or horses…I’m thinking I love horses so much and I could really come up with something neat to do with their magnificentness! So, there’s a goal. You heard it!

By the way – I would have colored this if I had time!

So my biggest piece of news is this : Graphic Design internship at Eventbrite ended early. Full-time Designer position started at Sneakpeeq.

Sneakpeeq is an online shopping experience that takes the interactions and thinking process of in-store shopping and delivers it to the web. You can see what your friends are looking at, you can peek at the tag for a lower price, and you are presented with a method of shopping that imitates the same sort of fun discovery that is found in stores. Social interaction and personal enjoyment are a result of Sneakpeeq’s shopping “game”.

Please go to Sneakpeeq.com and join! I promise you will find some fun jewelry, neat glassware, yummy chocolates and more!

Look at me, promoting my new work, we are a start-up and I love it! We are going to grow into something awesome – and you know what? I get to be the designer. What more could I ask for? Design lead, photography guide, icon illustrator, fashion promoter, chocolate taster (sometimes hehe)… I AM SO EXCITED!

So, after being hired, I bought  a bike. I just couldn’t take it anymore. I wanted convenience. And yes, riding in traffic is scary as hell. SCARY. But I’m cautious (Mom, Nana, Grandma…don’t worry!). And I am getting the hang of what streets are better to take and what hills are just too incredibly and scarily steep to pedal up (or down for that matter). I have no shame in getting off my bike and walking it up the hill. No shame. Also I bought a helmet and really expensive locks…so if anyone steals my bike or my seat or whatever after I spent all the $$ on it…I WILL BE ENRAGED. Stay away bike-nappers.

Despite this job and bike-gaining. One of my favorite things that has happened since my last personal blog post is the arrival of Matt and Rich!! Yey for friends! (Martina is now here too! and Liz will be back soon!). Just knowing that there are some other souls in this city besides Josh that I can talk to, hang out with and feel at home with is a major relief and source of fun/joy. Hooray! (Now I just still need to make new friends…I’m getting better, and Sneakpeeq people are SO awesome.) Below is a picture of all of us at the “beach” (a strip of sand and some rocks and waves) nearish to the Golden Gate Bridge. We had a picnic with wine, cheese, and bread and it was perfect.

One of these past weekends in July, before Matt sold his car, we went to Sonoma! Wine Country! It was beautiful. We drove out of the city, out from under the fog and mist clouds into this sweeping, sunny country. I felt warm and welcome and safe being out of the city. Not that I feel unsafe in the city…but there is something about the country that is ingrained in me. I love the grass, the breeze sweeping air between trees instead of buildings, the plant-life stretching for miles instead of a couple feet inside small parks. The country is home, it is free to be what you want. Peaceful, gorgeous, it rejects concrete, and I quite like that! Now don’t get me wrong, I love living in this city! It’s fun, convenient, full of life!

Anyway, about the wine. We stopped at 3 different wineries. At Gundlach Bundschu, a lovely German place, we did a tasting of various wines. I felt like I learned something, but really I just wanted a place where we could get a bottle, sit, talk, and stare at the country…that is my kind of day. With this in mind, and with slightly grumbling stomachs, we went to Whole Foods to grab cheese, bread, snacks in hopes of finding the exact kind of place where we could bring our own picnic. The problem is, we ended up at the exact place that would have forbidden bags from Whole Foods, we parked at a MANSION known for it’s sparkling wine. We left our groceries in the trunk and walked the grand staircase to a small grape paradise of ladies in sundresses and of men who paid for everything including 20$ pieces of cheese (or maybe I’m exaggerating a little).

I got a sparkling rose which was like stars in my mouth, fizzy light pink stars bouncing around causing ruckus. This place was pretty hoity toity, but the view of the vineyards from the patio was insanely worth feeling like the poorest people there.
Below is a picture of Renee’s sparkling white wine! See the sparklies?

At this wine mansion I also bought a piece of chocolate. Filled with Pinot Noir. Yes that is right, a chocolate truffle filled with wine. Not wine flavored ganache or buttercream, straight up alcohol, red wine. It was good. Strange and messy, but very delectable.

So after wine mansion we went to a smaller vineyard tucked back in some road somewhere and bought bottles, took our peasant’s cheese and baguettes our of the trunk and enjoyed cushioned chairs on a wooden porch overlooking some vines. I could have sat there all day but we were late in arriving and all of the vineyards apparently close around 5. Alas, we had to make our way home. Goodbye country, for now anyway. We shall meet again someday.

That same weekend was actually the weekend of my birthday so the next day, Sunday, Josh and I made a special breakfast (even though Monday was my birthday) of Challah French toast! Eggs, a splash of milk, a small splash of vanilla coffee creamer, lots of cinnamon + thick slices of Challah bread and you have yourself an unforgettable homemade breakfast. I think I outdid any French Toast I’ve ever tasted before and I wasn’t even trying that hard. I think it mainly had to do with the Challah bread, but yea, soo good.

On Monday Josh took me to a most delectable Italian place, wined and dined me, bought me Carbonara, Red Wine, and Tiramisu…what more of a present could I want? :D

But on Sunday, before all I was treated to all of this fantastic birthday day dinnering, Matt, Josh and I road tripped down to Palo Alto for…guess what (besides the fact that we partially went down there to get Matt’s motorcycle)? SPRINKLES. OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG SPRINKLES!!! AHAH I seriously don’t want to be a broken record. You all know I love this place like a little girl loves her favorite stuffed animal. A LOT. Flavors I got : Cherry, Salted Caramel (ooo so *shudder* so good), and Vanilla Milk Chocolate.




Really, just look at that cupcake PERFECTION. That icing could not be more perfect in any way. I’m so so jealous of the people who go to Stanford and can just walk to this amazing shopping center that houses this AMAZING BAKERY. The end.

Now I am just going to do a quick overview of the goodness I’ve eaten…prepare for sporadic food photography and unconnected stories.

Concerning cupcakes, again, even though I can’t get to Palo Alto, I CAN get to Cups and Cakes bakery, which I have written about before and which is probably slightly healthier because they have mini size cupcakes. And. Yes, I really think these cupcakes are nearly as good. They will serve as a replacement for now anyway. Below is Vanilla Cookies and Cream and Bailey’s Mudslide.

I’ve also had the chance to try Kara’s. Kara, you are a copycat. Your cupcakes are good, depending only on the flavor, but overall you fail to be Sprinkles and you really never should have tried in the first place. I mean look at that logo of yours, and the “candy toppers”. Your sweet vanilla cupcake actually has too much icing on it. WHAT? Did Amanda Appiarius just say too much icing? Yea, but, the cake part was super fantastic and tasty and the icing, after scraping some off, was also very tasty, white chocolatey! I really did enjoy this cupcake. Mmhmm.

Just this past weekend, I was with Matt when one of his friend recommended Elite for brunch with the disclaimer of them having the best biscuits. When Matt and I passed it, it was too crowded so as I was wondering home back to my bike, I saw that they weren’t crowded, and my stomach spoke to me and said “you are hungry, get a biscuit.” So I sat down to this tiny biscuit of dense, heavy, flaky butter. I didn’t even need to put butter on it. It just steamed and melted and soaked into my mouth and soul like a good biscuit should.

So more than eating out, Josh and I have been penny-pinching and trying to eat in, and cook. Cook is a loose term because mainly we just do pasta and frozen pizza.
Pasta number one : Penne, Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella, Basil, LaRosas Sauce! Pork Sausage and shredded Asiago Parmesan cheese baked in the oven. Gooey, tasty, plentiful.

Pasta number two: Fettuccine, Alfredo Sauce, Pesto, Spinach, Chicken and some Shredded Parmesan baked in the oven (for a little bit). Flavorful, rich, sinful.

This blog post makes it look like I eat nothing but sugar and pasta. This is not true! But really, maybe to my body, sugar and carbs = life force.

Anyway, now that I have a happy job and a routine and happy happiness – my friends are coming to visit and I won’t be anything but super super happy! Can’t wait to see you guys!! <3

I miss you Cincinnati.

And despite how well things are going for me, my mind is often in Ohio. I really miss everyone, especially my Mom and Dad...it's weird not being able to just go home whenever I want. It seems like such a long time ago that I had my graduation party, but in reality, it's only been about 2 months and this fact makes me sad! I already want to visit home and it's been so short of a time! I have never loved being somewhere so much yet wished I could be somewhere else as well. Either way, I know this is where I should be and I know this is where I am loving it. All is well...but I still get sad about not being near my family...

or my friends…

or my stupid doggie…

or even just in the kitchen, baking up a cloud of flour and powdered sugar with my Mom on the weekends…

Tis bittersweet, and while I acknowledge the sadness I feel from being away from all that I love, I know I am out here doing what I love and finding joy in the adventure and exploration of the city, myself, my career – yey San Francisco!

Update : I got a pumpkin loaf yesterday after drawing this and IT WAS GOOD. It was actually a little stale on the edges, but you know, Starbucks just does their pastries well, and it was still fantastic and devoured in pre-autumnal joy. Yey pumpkin!!

Although I can just as easily put “your dog”  in any position, for this commission I imitated the pose in the photo.

Here is the image I referenced :