Camp camp camp.

Wintervision 2011, 2012

We leave tomorrow!

Cabin leading is strange.

When I finally manage to get over the selfish, prideful, yet self-deprecating hump that is me

and start to grasp the fact that God can use me in spite of my weaknesses and flaws ..

(WHAT?! it's true.)

well, NOW I'M EXCITED.

Can't wait to see the gals and experience this camp in the SUMMERTIME.

Illustration Storytime: Grass baby.

My friend, Tritia and I share the same name.

She was one of my favorite "older sisters" growing up in church. 

One Sunday morning we were both wearing green sweaters,

and the following conversation happened:

Tritia

Ew, you look like a booger.

Me, responding with my great wit..

Well, you look like grass.

Thus began "Grass and Booger."

circa 2005?? 

- - -

Being four years older, Tritia has and will always be a little more ahead in life.

I've seen her get engaged, then married, and now..

SHE'S GOING TO BE A MOM?!

I'm beyond excited for her, and my mind is blown a little every time I think about it. 

"Grass Baby," available soon in the etsy shop.

Grass--
Praying for a happy, healthy pregnancy.
This Auntie Booger can't wait to see your little booger!!

A Friday.

Coffee and googling French foods for an illustration logo.

oui oui?

Happy weekend. 

Caterpillars.

It's been a week of really fun, challenging projects

that has had me "arting,"

dabbling in different areas that I love-

illustration, design, calligraphy, photography. 

Yes, it feels like many days of pretending. 

I know I'm not alone when I say that I find myself in waves of insecurity and constant comparing.

These lulls come suddenly through the most random things: insta, blogs, a stranger..

or even slowly and quietly while I'm working on something and lost in thought. 

It's distracting and can be crippling. 

My goal, post graduation and for this forever summer, has been to keep on creating.

So yes, I know, these moments of self doubt are expected and necessary. 

I've been praying for a heart that is teachable--

for God to teach me to continue taking those faithful leaps, in spite of;
to have joy in creating to serve Him, 

not to serve a secure future full of steady paychecks.

remember these furry guys? 
saw them all the time lining up in 2nd grade.

- - - - -

So I'll continue to hope in my God 

who has dreams for me that are greater than I'll ever have---

like big, beautiful butterfly dreams for a tiny, self-doubting caterpillar. 

Photospree: Hooray, Graduates!

It's exciting when friends and family remember my photo days 

and trust me enough to ask for a photospree. 

I'm definitely not the most professional 

(once I forgot to charge the battery, camera was dead, 

and we resorted to the crazy powerful iPhone. 

eek. not a proud moment.)

haha.

that'll get the emails in!

ANYWAY, my cousin Katy and her roommates graduated just this past weekend 

and we had a photospree all around UC Irvine, bright and early like supermodels do.

'twas super fun getting to see the campus 

and observe my cousin's friendship with her roomies.

this time...my battery was fully charged, 

the weather was glorious, 

the gals had wonderful chemistry,

and it was just all around a really great morning.

katy - -

so proud of you! 

you're one of the most thoughtful, caring, hardworking people i know. 

you inspire me! thanks to you and your roomies for letting me do this!

love, 

trisha

Let us pause..

after a very june gloomy, moody, broody morning..

from Emmylou Harris, "Hard Times Come Again No More"

print available in the etsy shop

Yes, I watch Nashville. totally guilty. but mainly for these two sisters..

Check out their awesome cover of the tune:

happy thursday.

Illustration Storytime: "Stars"

Thought it'd be fun for little storytime segments on what's behind some of my illustrations.. 

yay? nay??

- - - - -

Some of you may remember I had a "photography phase" 

(heavily documented on my old xanga and trickled over to my tumblr for a little bit.) 

I still love it, but I was definitely consumed then.

This phase began freshman year of college, 

when I had no burdening homework and lived in a beautiful apartment complex overflowing with trees.  

I had also started following a TON of photography blogs 

(many of which you can still find on my blog roll to the right), 

totally inspired by their use of color, composition, light, subjects, etc. 

One of my favorite photographers, theimageisfound, grabbed my attention with personal posts featuring their daughter, Grace---

then a toddler with so much energy, spunk, and personality. 

I loved it. 

Here's one of my favorites.

See? Beautiful and so hilarious.

This one obviously left an impression (how could it not??) 

and ultimately inspired this guy:

prints available in the etsy shop

" S T A R S " 

This guy stemmed out of "Flight", my little aviation buddy and his dreams of flying way up into the stars. 

It's an ode to Grace, telescopes fashioned out of tape and glass cups, and paper skies.

I'm constantly inspired by my nursery kids...

sure, their attention spans are about a minute at the most, 

but their ability to imagine, wonder, and dream is incomparable. 

This whole "Embrace" series has been my effort in trying to remember and capture that. 

Hopefully this is doing it justice. 

Brain & iPhone dump // Disney World

The last time I was here was in 1995. My dad had won some sort of trip package from work, and I'm pretty sure he told the travel agent I was 6, when I was really 5. I  remember two magical things from this trip: my airplane outfit and only wanting to ride Dumbo. Yeah, I was fun. 

Now here we are 18 years later with my sister, who was only an image in God's creative mind back in '95. My dad keeps reminding me of his memories from that trip..especially how I was super moody the entire time. 

Besides the fact that I'm actually aware of it now, I can be JUST as moody as I was 18 years ago. It's true. 

You put this introvert in a small shared space for more than 24 hours, and my inner angry monster child will come out...not too different from the monster prompted when I'm "hangry" (hungry angry). 

Family vacations tend to bring out the best and the worst in me. I need my space after a certain time with other beings. I get tired. I get moody. I'm not graceful. 

This trip's no different. 

I've been loving all the free wifi here at the Disney resorts/parks. They really are super accommodating (don't get me started about the pricey ponchos and drink mugs though..). Is it lame that all this wifi has pushed me to take even more photos than usual? There's something special about actual in-the-moment instagrams, way more exciting that my usual "latergrams". 

This is a first world problem. This entire post has/and will continue to be a first world problem. 

So reflecting on my panicky, testy moments from this trip, I then think about all of the photos I've taken throughout. They're peaceful slices of the trip.

Happy, beautiful memories:

Two weeks from now, I'll forget about the "hangry" and only remember the happy. I'm quick like that. 

Although only by the grace of God. Seriously. 

- - - - -

" Our Lord never put His trust in any person. Yet He was never suspicious, never bitter, and never lost hope for anyone, because He put His trust in God first. 

He trusted absolutely in what God’s grace could do for others. 

If I put my trust in human beings first, the end result will be my despair and hopelessness toward everyone. I will become bitter because I have insisted that people be what no person can ever be— absolutely perfect and right. Never trust anything in yourself or in anyone else, except the grace of God." utmost.org

Workspace.

Let's be honest.

My workspace/bedroom would never qualify for design*sponge or anything of that sort.

I'm a mess. My room, my brain, my reality. ALL OF IT.

I know 32 of my friends thought I was super organized over on Instagram though:

- - - - - SO here's the fun part - - - - -

WHAT IT REALLY LOOKS LIKE

(Sorry, mom.)

Mess of a desk and a neglected life painting

The bed that doubles as a side table, because papers will always overflow.

Beds next to desks are dangerous. It's beckoning me. Naptime, Trisha, NAPTIME..

And finally, the desk in all its glory. 

As crazy as it looks, I actually like this photo a lot. 

This is me, at the moment.

Note: a little VSCO magic makes everything look calm and collected.