Anyone who knows me knows that my favorite color is orange.  I include this in my wardrobe at least once a week (not really on purpose though - it just happens).  I've put together a little evening outing attire centered around this cute affordable orange chiffon dress I found.  I also enjoy a little bling.  And I decided this is for an evening outing so I would "frost" it up.

Since we got married about a year ago, I took down my old website with my portfolio and information.  As you might guess, the wedding was much more overwhelming with the responsibilities taking priority over blogging or self promotion than I had anticipated.  


I have finally started taking baby steps towards getting myself up and running.  Although I have free time in the evenings to work on blogging, creating, and sharing, I usually end up outside or with my dog or husband or doing something other than staring at the computer.  I'm simply 'over it' after 8-10 hours of looking at it.


Anyway, some recent opportunities have forced me whip myself back into action and being a better manager of my time.  Tonight was another step towards that.  Check out my behance portfolio here or http://be.net/marilynnimz.  Here are just a few of the images I posted... (click to view detail).

For all of you designers out there...sad news I read today, which I'm going to repost. I found this post via Graphic Hug, a good solid art and design blog - great to follow. The blog states that from now on I.D. Magazine will be discontinued...

F+W Media produces and is the owner of the three successful design magazines: Print, How, and I.D. Magazine. I'm not sure how true this article is, but I highly doubt Graphic Hug would post something like this without checking their facts. We'll see I suppose. You can view the blog here.

Here’s the release from I.D.

To Readers, Advertisers and Friends of I.D. Magazine:

Since 1954, I.D. Magazine has served as one of America’s leading critical magazines covering the art, business, and culture of design. Today it is with regret that we announce its closure. The January/February issue of I.D. will be its last; subscribers to I.D. will receive Print magazine for the balance of their subscription.

Ceasing publication of an iconic brand like I.D. is never an easy decision, but there are several forces that have worked against its sustainability. Certainly the downturn in print advertising has contributed to this decision, but other factors include the fragmentation and specialized information needs of I.D.’s core readers (product designers) and the plethora of information resources available to them – some for free (online and B2B) and others that are highly specialized and targeted to specific industries served.

F+W Media will continue producing the I.D. Annual Design Review, its flagship international product design competition, in an expanded fashion online. This new web initiative will feature not only 2010’s winners but will catalog thousands of notable entries from past competitions. Going forward, in addition to the I.D. Annual Design Review, F+W Media’s Design Group is comprised of the award-winning HOW and Print brands – magazines, books, events, and competitions serving the information needs of graphic designers in all media.

We thank the entire I.D. community, past and present – staffers, contributors, readers, and advertisers – for their support of the magazine throughout its 55-year history.

Sincerely,

Gary Lynch Publisher & Editorial Director F+W Media Design Community

Check out these hot bicycle seat patterns I found via Happiness Is blog.







More saddle designs from Kara Ginther Flickr.

Also see Vintage Locomotief City Bike riding around Gas Works Park in Seattle (you'll know what it means when you see the pictures).

I found this fun/easy idea via one of my favorite blogs: designsponge, an idea of Allison Fonseca. A fun, cost-efficient way to add handmade and holiday to your home...

Materials Needed:

- cork board (any size or shape you like)

- plain white paper

- photos, magazine clippings, etc.

- white thumbtacks

- scissors

Instructions:

1. Fold and cut the sheets of white paper to make the snowflakes. You should make enough to cover the cork board and to extend over the edges a bit, with some overlapping as well. The snowflakes can be all the same size or of varying sizes. [*note: If the last time you made one of these was the 2nd grade and you need a quick refresher, refer to the diagram below.]

2. Lay the cork board on a flat surface and layer the paper snowflakes and photos on top. There’s no wrong way to do it, just play around with the different pieces until you find an arrangement you like.

3. Use the thumbtacks to attach everything to the cork board. And that’s it! Your one-of-a-kind artwork is now ready to be hung and admired.

Recently, Kaleb and I had our engagement pictures taken by our great friend Carl. Carl and his wife Cara have been good friends of ours for a long time. Needless to say we had the funnest time ever having our pictures taken by Carl. Carl is an awesome photographer with a different perspective which you can see through his pictures. Here are just a few...Check out more of our awesome/fun engagement session! I am so excited about these. It was like Christmas for me receiving them!!

Also Kaleb and I have a Knot page. I know it's kind of weird, but we figured it'd be an easier way of updating everyone on the details of what's going to happen. Hopefully it will be updated more frequently as the day gets closer. Here's a link to our page.

Further this week, Evie, my little yorkie (located in the top left picture above and also below) has been really sick this week. I blame this on myself for stupidly switching her dog food to something "healthier" without properly transitioning her. For future reference, if you have a dog (or probably cat), here is what you can do to help them feel better. I've been following these steps and so far it's working, thank goodness.

Steps to Calm Your Dog's Upset Stomach: via Daily Puppy

Tuscan Chicken Simmer recipe at Kraftfoods.com

Tonight, I made this easy recipe I found on the Kraft Food website. Sometimes when I am looking for a recipe, I google stuff, but I always find myself going back to that site. The website makes it so easy for you to make a meal with what you have. You just type your ingredients in on the left hand side, and it generates recipes that require what you have. This recipe wasn't the greatest ever, but I really enjoyed its creamy-ness.

Thanks to my friend, Megan, I learned a few years ago that Kraft foods would send you a free magazine every quarter with fun seasonal recipes in it. They recently changed this to something you must pay for. But it was amazing while it was free. You can still subscribe for $14/yr.

Another of my favorite recipe sites is: Simply Recipes. The instructions on their recipes tend to be more complicated, but they are still amazing. Try these out some time!

Just to give everyone an update, Grandpa Sharky passed on last Wednesday morning, November 4th. It was a sad day for everyone, but in the end, the family, and I'm sure Grandpa, feel better now that he is no longer suffering. I flew up to Minnesota this last weekend and tried to capture some of the essence of fall in the north. I will have to post pictures later since my camera cord is being borrowed.

For now, I'll leave you all with this awesome post I found on Little Brown Pen - it's a DIY calendar! I am still trying to figure out how I am going to design my calendar for next year, but I do have big plans.

Here are some pictures and at the bottom is the video on the making of it...

It's been a long time since I've written some thoughts on the blogger, so I am finally going to talk about being engaged publicly on the internet.  Maybe that's part of why I haven't written more recently.  There's something about being engaged, in the beginning, that makes you want to keep it private.  Maybe it's the bombarding of questions, ideas, and unsolicited advice of how people think you should get married.  Also it takes some time to get used to being engaged.  I mean, it's never happened before and it's only going to happen once...whoa!

Recently I FINALLY acquired my FIRST dog.  First, allow me to explain how much I wanted a cat when I was younger.  The only furry animals my family has ever owned (besides snakes, tortoises, and other reptiles my dad would find in the woods) has been one cat until I was 4 years old...and later in life (6th grade) my parents finally let me have a parakeet. I wanted a cuddly cat/kitten until I was in middle school, and then I think it changed into wanting a cuddly puppy.  I begged my parents for years.  And I'm betting that I probably mentioned that to them at least once a month, every month my entire 17 years of being home (or at least since I learned to speak).  I would bring this to their attention even more around specific holidays (my birthday and Christmas).

And they would always reply with, "That's fine, honey.  You can do what you want when you're on your own.  Just remember that you are going to have to be responsible for taking care of it."  

As if I was never a responsible child growing up...

So when I told my parents I got her recently, they responded with, "Really?!  Marilyn!  Why?!"

Haha.  Duh!  But anyway, they seem to be more supportive now than surprised.  It's like they're secretly waiting for me to get sick of her or something and get rid of her.  But I don't think I ever could.  She's amazing.  She's quite a little hyper terror sometimes (or 50% of the time), but even in those times, she's fun.  I'm hoping I can win my parents over to the dog-loving side of the world when one day they will have to babysit her.  :o)

Her name is Evie and she was 8 weeks old when I got her.  The people who I bought her from (on Craigslist) said she was a "Teacup Yorkie," and that's what I had been telling people for the first two weeks I had her.  However, she has grown so much since I've had her, that I am thinking now she is a normal Yorkshire Terrier.  She is 12 weeks old now and since yesterday was so bright and sunny, I took some great photos of her...  see below...

Today, I want to write about these amazing boots I just bought myself recently. I found them at Shoe Carnival and I consider them my Christmas present to myself! The brand name is, "Wanted," and they are called, "Trick Boots." I spent quite a bit for them (for my tastes at least), but if you really want to know how much, you can look it up on your own. My pair is actually gray.

I know this really seems like something ridiculous to post about. But I believe that boots make a great contribution to fashion and society...especially in the winter time. They keep you warm, they look sexy, and they provide extra protection against predators. Seriously, who wouldn't want to buy a pair of sexy hot boots (including you men out there)?!

Here are a few famous examples in history of sexy hot boots for men...
























Anyway, I think the main reason why I am so excited about my new boots is that I have wanted a pair for a long time. And not just any pair, but a pair that didn't wiegh 10+lbs., didn't make me look like a I was about to go horseback riding, and also didn't make me look like a stripper...Also I didn't want any kind of Ugz (no offense to all my friends who own a pair, they just aren't my style right now). Unfortunately, all of that seems to be a very hard combination to find.

Every year, I look for a pair, but am never successful in finding them or I end up settling - like last year. I ended up getting a pair of 10lber horseback riding boots. They are okay... I will save them for the next time I plan to ride, haha!

TODAY I finally made time to call my local county registrar's office so they can send me an absentee ballot pronto! Usually they are closed by the time I get off work and have the chance to call.

Yes, I will get to vote!

I have to admit, I was talking to some friends recently. And they were telling me that the last day to register was last week. LUCKILY, I am already registered. I voted for my first time in the last 2004 election for the big Dubbie-ya (W)! However...THAT (last week) was not the deadline for requesting an absentee ballot!!!

I started thinking about it this morning while I was driving and listening to people on the radio talk about their opinions of the candidates for this election. (Was that a run-on?) And then I realised how much I really do care about this election. I know I will be mailing in my vote. My boss assured me today that my vote would just be thrown away, since that was the big scandal in the last election (the throwing away of mail-in votes). Whatever. I need to try. I know my vote counts too. Voting makes me feel more a part of this country.

We that vote will have a say in the economy...our government...and the world for the next 4 years!!

LET FREEDOM RING!!!!!!!!!!!!! :o)

After I wrote this post, that Reba Macintire song just popped into my head...

So I have always wondered how people can tell what my ethnicity is or think they can.  Ever since I was about six (that I can remember), I have been called all kinds of cultures....  Chinese, Japanese, Pacific Islander/Philippino, Hawaiian, Latino, Mexican, and even Middle Eastern.  

This is my first blog in about two years (if anyone still remembers "Xanga").  But I love to write and let everyone know how I'm doing so I'm going to try this again...  Plus I think it'll be good to have this once I begin my world travels again...which will start happening once I graduate and move (hopefully December 08).  Okay-maybe not quite that soon.  But that's the dream.