Shout, Illustrations

I wondered over to Illustration Friday this morning looking for some inspiration and 

found some within the illustrations of 'Shout' I love the unique layouts, color and 

simplicity of his art. 

And I love this little tidbit on how he got the name Shout:

Well, of course I have to start from this question, although you must have said it many times in past and sick of it… Can you tell the readers about how you came about using name Shout?

Yes of course.

Between 2002 and 2005 I was represented by a Canadian illustration agent.  They were nice but they didn’t allow me to try different ways of expression.  I wanted to change my visual language but they didn’t let me do that. I signed an exclusive contract with them so I had no choice.

They started representing me in 2002, and I think they were scared of loosing some clients by showing different styles from me, although I didn’t work so often with them at that time. Maybe only about 2 assignments a month, almost always with clients you have never heard of who didn’t have good budgets…

Anyway, during that time, I never stopped creating work for myself, looking for my own voice. I worked very hard, trying and trying again. It finally ‘clicked’ in October 2005. That month, I found a way. My way.

It was an assignment that gave me a spark; I tried to think more on the concept and put less attention on the “make up”. I was enthusiastic of the outcome but the client rejected my sketches. At that point I decided I have to do this all by myself.

For one of my first illustrations, I made a new brand name: Shout, a man shouting from a bottom of a hole in the ground.  I chose the name to hide myself from the agent. I started looking for clients on my own. In 6 months I collected more than 2000 art director’s email addresses. That worked immediately. This was how Shout was born and I left the agency.

Now I have some problem going back with my real name, but I eventually will.

Love that. 

Pop over to Illustration Friday for the entire interview

Valentine's Day, How do you Celebrate?

Well, its February (already), and Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Believe it or not, 

I am actually a hopeless romantic. Completely Hopeless, but I bet you could have 

guessed that. I devour Valentine's Day and any occasion to enjoy Dave. Each year I ask  

only for a love note. I look forward to it every holiday and have tucked each one away in a 

special box that we will uncover one day and "remember when." 

How do you feel about Valentine's Day? Are you a hopeless Romantic or do you 

prefer to ignore the holiday all together? 

I have posted some of my favorite Meant for a Moment Prints to inspire cupids 

arrow this month. 

{xox}

Honeymoon Planning, Any tips?

Dave and I have been searching for the perfect honeymoon spot and my mind is 

reeling with beautiful destinations, I wish we could visit them all. Some of the places 

that we have considered are; Turks and Caicos, Norway, Cinque Terra, Big Sur CA, 

Key West, and Greece. We are working on a budget so some of those places were 

knocked off our list simply for cost reasons {Norway, I love you.} sigh. I have been 

to Cinque Terra and it was Heaven on Earth. I highly recommend anyone visit that 

is able. But last night we came up with this brilliant plan that sounds perfect for both 

Dave and I {!}  Here is what we are thinking;

Get Hitched, Head down to the Keys, Rent a Villa, a Car and a BOAT. Spend the 

entire week exploring the waters of the Keys and Fish our hearts out. I imagine 

for an ideal vacation, it couldn't be much sweeter than to have a boat and a bunch 

of islands at our disposal. {xox}

Where did you honeymoon? Do you have any tips?

Non Dairy Ice Cream, Success

Oh Hello Delicious, Non-Dairy Ice Cream. 

I suffer from migraines often and I have found if I drink a whole glass of milk 

or large latte, a migraine would start brewing {humpf}. I also have to stay away

 from 90% of the worlds delicious cheeses. So I have considered the fact that I may 

have an intolerance to Dairy. I have recently switched to a non-dairy diet to see if it 

helped with energy levels and my migraine issues. Its been wonderful so far, 

however I am just drooling over the idea of ice cream.  

So last night I took some time to get to know a pint of Mocha Almond Fudge 

Purely Decadent 'Ice Cream' made with coconut milk. It was amazing. An 

absolutely wonderful Dairy Free substitute to ice-cream. 

Cuppow, Turn your Canning Jar into a Travel mug. {Love}

Must Have. Enough Said. 

Go to their site and watch their video, its adorable. 

The Wheatfield, typographic design to drool over

There are more wonderful things happening at The Wheatfield. I adore Katie Daisy's 

typographic designs and color use so much, I can't wait for the wall space to hang a 

bunch of her work on my wall. Wouldn't these prints be cute in a little girls room?

Or a nice white Studio?

Incredibly Important Stationary, by Meant for a Moment Designs

Meant for a Moment's custom illustrated, Incredibly Important Stationary has been 

one of my favorite new projects and it is growing in popularity as it spreads through 

the mail. {!} Nothing beats a hand written note, and when it is as cute as this, how 

could you resist. 

Psst: These would make great Mother's Day gifts.

For your own custom illustrated package, email me: meant4amoment@gmail.com

Gotta Have, Cup Holders for your Desk

Again, I am kicking myself for not thinking of this. This is totally genius is it not?

I could use about three of these for my drinking problem. Coffee Water and Coffee. 

I always end up accumulating a bunch of cups through out my work day and than 

Cricket manages to jump up (on my desk, yikes) and put us all in a precarious 

position at least once, before the day is through. 

So these Drinklips are a must have in my book!

Recent Meant for a Moment Project (Fairy Tale for Adults)

Ever wonder what I am up to?

One of my recent projects has been really fun, because I got to create a fairy 

tale for adults. {dreamy}

Each character in the book played a very specific role so we opted for a profile

 type illustration in black and white ink. I have included some of my favorites 

above to show you a peak but there are more, like a wise judge and of corse 

the princess! 

This project was so much fun {!} I can't wait to see it printed, I will post a 

link when its ready. 

New Project for the Weekend, Building a Shelf

I am in desperate need for more shelving but I am also in desperate need for 

more space... This usually poses an issue. But I came across this beautiful 

minimalistic shelf at West End today and my wheels started turning. Not only 

did I think, "Well, thats a cool shelf that doesn't take up a lot of space." I also

 thought, "With Dave's mad skills and my creative touch we could recreate that 

pretty easily." So. I proposed to Dave that we do it. And he said 'Yes'.  

Stay tuned for details. 

Do you SNOOZE?

Anyone else hit snooze a million times before they wake up? I have to set my 

alarm early just so I can get up on time because I snooze so much. But I was up a 

little earlier than usual yesterday because Dave had just gotten home from a long 

weekend away. We had coffee together and shared stories of our weekend and it 

was wonderful. It felt like a perfect morning. Usually, Dave and I are both working 

by 7am but it was so wonderful to take a little time in the morning to chat over coffee.

  And Cricket was in Heaven, because she got lots of attention. So I thought I would 

make an effort to wake up a half an hour earlier everyday so we can have some time

 together in the morning. (Today I made it 15 minutes early, its a start right)

Here are some tips I found online about getting rid of the snooze habit. 

• Place your alarm clock strategically. If you place your alarm clock across the room 

or outside your door, this might force you walk to the clock to shut it off.

• Train yourself. Instead of forcing yourself to wake up, train yourself to react instantly 

by practicing the motions of waking up. During the day, turn your lights off and practice 

jumping out of the bed as soon as your alarm goes off. Do this repeatedly twice a day for 

about 10 times until it feels automatic.

• Get an alarm clock that lights up. You can mimic waking up naturally with this 

BioBrite Sunrise Clock ($134). This alarm clock will gradually glow brighter and 

brighter and will act like your own mini sunrise. You will no longer be jerked awake 

by jarring noises with this clock. BioBrite also has a cheaper version for $90.

• Active Work. Start your day with work that actively uses your mind. Creative 

activities like writing, drawing, programming or designing work better than 

passive activities like reading. By focusing your mind early you can stay focused

and brush off any unwanted drowsiness.

Design your New Room

So I just found this amazing website that helps you layout your room/house. 

Its by Urban Barn and its called The Make Room. Its pretty amazing. You select 

the exact dimensions, angles and depths of your room. Than start designing by 

adding furniture, fixtures and even electrical sockets. You have countless option of 

furniture types and can change the scale to match your furniture at home. (cool). I 

could lose days messing around on the site, its just way too much fun. For someone 

that has trouble visualizing a redesign, or remodel this would be very helpful. 

Have fun!

Amazing Rings... and Affordable too!

I totally want those pretty little teardrop rings! Aren't they so lovely? Oh Kuol makes 

them on Etsy and their jewelry ranges in price between $30 and $70 isn't that 

wonderful? If I wasn't saving up for a wedding I would be all over it. I hope 

you guys can indulge a little for yourselves. {xox}

While my Baby Sleeps

Oh my goodness! Have you seen these photos {?} This creative mom, Adele 

Enersen, fell so in love with her daughter, Mila, that she was bummed to put her 

down for her nap because that meant they had to stop hanging out. So she decided 

to hang out while they were napping by photographing her while she napped and stage 

these adorable dreamy photos. She started this blog called "When my Baby Dreams"

Is your heart sufficiently melted? Look at those carrots {xox}

Dana Tanamachi, Chalkboard Designs {wowey}

Dana Tanamachi is a Dreamboat. Check out these chalk designs. Wouldn't it be so 

fantastic to have a giant chalkboard at your wedding with that bottom right design. 

{actually any design would work wouldn't it} If you head to her website she has 

some time-lapse video that shows her process. It feels like you are watching a secret. 

Its pretty cool. 

Sippy Fountain

I think this is such an adorable idea. Especially if you have kids in the house. 

Don't you think? Look, you just pinch the bottom and it turns into a water 

fountain for you. {LOVE} I found this on Pinterest via a tumbler site so there

was no link to buy so if anyone finds the link let me know.  

Something to think on...

{photo via}

A day in the life... Norman Rockwell

These Illustrations are entitled, "A Day in the Life of a Little Boy/Girl"

I posted them today because they kind of melted my heart, Look 

how each child wakes up and falls asleep. And in between look at their 

facial expressions. I could just stare at these illustrations forever. 

It would be impossible to do this with words. Norman Rockwell is a genius. 

Don't you love those big ears on that little boy? And that dog he is sleeping with!

Have a great Thursday 'boys and girls'.

Embroidered Typography

I am a sucker for amazing typography. And Maricor Maricar has pretty much 

blown me away with these jaw dropping embroidered typographic wonders. 

Look at the detail and precision. And the donut! Oh I love the donut! :) I have 

never heard the quote "Be Excellent to Each Other" But I am very sure that 

I full heartedly agree. 

Cookie Roll, Amazing

Wow Look at this Cookie Roll!

Wanna make it? Head on over to More Design Please for the recipe. 

Can't get over this... so pretty. 

Do you Meditate?

P.S. Here is a good crash course in the Body Scan Meditation: NPR Body Scan

try it out and let me know how if goes for you. 

DIY: How to Install a Back Splash Yourself

It was New Years Eve and Dave and I installed our backsplash. 

It was one of the many things I have wanted to do to improve our kitchen, 

so with the help of Bromin Construction... Here is how we did it. 

The tools you need are simple, you can get them at any hardware store. 

1. Trowels (this allows for an even adhesive spread and good "buttering")

2. Tile Spacers (these will easily become your new best friend)

3. A Mixer (that attaches to your drill)

4. Painters Tape, Grouting Sponge, and Razor

5. A positive attitude.

6. A sidekick. (Preferably an adorable one)

7. tile border (optional, pictured below in square 2)

8. A tile saw (these require a hose hook up)

9. Mastic and Grout

• First we cut our tile border to size and secured where we wanted it 

with screws. (1 and 2)

Also, be sure to prep your wall by removing outlet covers.

• Next, I laid out my tile along the wall (on the counter) a few rows deep 

to see what kind of pattern I wanted and made sure each end tile was 

a generous size and not a tiny sliver. (3)

• We taped out our area with blue painters tape to insure a clean line.

• Then we used our trowels to spread the Mastic (we used omni grip 

maximum strength) along the bottom of the wall where we would start

 applying our tile. We applied this straight to the wall but only applied 

enough to adhere a few tiles, not to the entire wall. *Dave advises using 

thin-set on cement board for projects like a floor or shower wall that 

will get more action and wear and tear* (4)

• When we applied the tiles we "buttered" the back of each tile with a flat 

trowel. This is done to insure a 'good stick'. Than we adhered it to the wall

 and smushed it on. *Dave advises to clean up any excess mastic that squeezes 

out of the sides of your tile, because it is difficult to clean off once its dry.* (4)

• In between each tile we placed the spacers, so we could squeeze the 

tiles tight together and ensure even spacing. (6)

• When we hit an outlet or the end of the wall Dave used the tile cutter 

to cut the tile to size. (7)

• Finally we had the entire wall covered (Oh Heavenly Day!) and it 

was time to relax and let the Mastic dry. 

• The next day we removed all the spacers, and cleaned up the lines in 

between the tiles with a razor and mixed our grout. 

• We used Non Sanded bright white grout. *Dave advises that when mixing 

the grout use a clean bucket and add a little water in the bottom of bucket 

before you pour your grout in.* Mix it up with that crazy mixer that attaches

 to your drill. Its kind of like baking. But way cooler. 

• When the grout reaches its proper consistency *peanut butterish* dive in there 

with your grout sponge and and use your sponge to squish it between all 

the tile spaces. Applying pressure in multiple directions. 

• Then we wiped the tiles down with a normal sponge and found the 

spots that we missed and reapplied our grout. 

• Dave wiped it down 2-3 times throughout the night to make sure the tiles 

were clean and the grout didn't dry on top of them. 

And than BAM we had a Hot Back Splash... Don't you think? 

Thanks Bromin Construction!

He is not Perfect...

I have always loved this quote from Bob Marley.

Do you ever find that you are expecting your 'guy' to be someone perfect 

straight out of a movie? Every now and then I get a weird sensation that I 

should be living a wild and romantic life. I dream about Dave whisking me 

away at the spur of the moment for a romantic adventure that he has spent 

days planning for us in secret... (Doesn't happen.)

But the reality of it is this; Honestly. If I boiled

 all of those romantic movie characters (Noah, from the Notebook (!)) down 

to their most desirable traits Dave blows them all out of the water. Dave has 

all of them and more and although we are not reading love sonnets to each 

other before bed, he is pretty Damn perfect for me. 

The Male and Female Brain...

Have you read these books yet? The female brain has been around for a while, so 

you may have come across it a couple years ago. But just recently Dr Louann 

Brizendine released the male brain {jack pot!} {Although to be honest, part of me 

doesn't want to know whats really going on inside of Dave's head}

I was talking about it with a friend and she said The Female Brain was like reading a bio

 of your life. "Yup, been there. Yup went through that. Crap, thats coming?" So she 

felt like reading the male brain would be more beneficial to her because she already

 knows all about herself. And maybe we as women may benefit from a little time 

with the male brain expert. 

Wouldn't it be nice if, as a couple, you could each read one book? I could read 

The Male Brain, & Dave could read the Female Brain. Dave claims he doesn't need a 

book to tell him how to "handle" me. And he may be right. He is a peace keeper

and is always looking for ways to make me happy. (Love that Dave.)

Here is their Amazon Links:

The Male Brain,  The Female Brain, both by Louann Brizendine M.D.

Meant for a Moment's Holiday Highlights

It has been such a Wonderful Holiday {!} And I totally mean that. 

Meant for a Moment has been so lucky this season, {xox} I was bustling 

around, busy as a bee, working to get all the holiday projects finished that there

 was simply not time to showcase them. So I thought perhaps I would take 

the time to give a little peek at the Highlights from the 2011 Holiday Season.

Thank you so much to everyone who made this season a wonderful season. 

Happy New Year!

How was your New Years Night?

Dave and I stayed in and fondued and installed our backsplash. Which was so 

much fun, because we cranked the music up, danced around the tools in the kitchen

 and finished around 1am... it was a strange kind of party but really fun none the less.

 (Detailed tutorial coming soon!)

Wishing you Countless Blessings in the Year to Come. {xox}

Chocolate Mousse (Two Ingredients)

Wow, I just came across this chocolate mousse recipe over at Chef Fernando's 

food blog... there are only two ingredients and it promises to be the most amazing! 

And aren't those the cutest little servers?

Spend your Honeymoon in an Igloo

Wow. Can you think of anything cooler right now? An insulated glass igloo that you 

can watch the aurora borealis in, while cuddled in bed {!}. And do you see the little 

snow igloos too? What a cool place to stay. I think seeing the northern lights would 

be amazing. Unfortunately they don't correspond with July so we won't be traveling

 here for our honeymoon but if anyone is looking for a killer spot for your wintery 

honeymoon spot, check out Hotel Kakslauttanen. 

PS. They even offer a snowy little chapel that you can plan your destination 

wedding in. 

Thanks Bored Panda for the Inspiration

New Years Resolutions... Mine and Yours...?

Do you make New Years Resolutions? 

Usually I shy away from resolutions, for no other reason than I think they are kind of 

cheesy. But this year I am... I wanted to set some attainable personal goals. {Although 

some are kind of silly} I did want to give myself something to look back on a year from

 now to see how I did. 

I think setting personal goals unrelated to my career are important for me so I remember

 to slow down and enjoy all of the wonderful things that come with being a 20-something 

woman just starting out. I am often too focused on my future to appreciate the day before 

me. Do you find that time is just flying by? 

If you made a resolution list would it be career oriented or more personal oriented? 

Its kind of an interesting thing to think about. It might be nice to consider slowing 

down and making some resolutions for your personal self in 2012 to make sure the 

year doesn't go by before you have time to enjoy it.  

New Years Dresses. Do you need to glitter?

What are your New Years Plans this New Year? Are you heading out? Do you need to glitter? 

I love the new sparkling trend of these sequin dresses...{!} Here are some Very Adorable, very affordable New Years dress ideas. Zara: $129. Free People: $168. Asos: $109. Modcloth: $53. 

It was a Wonderful Christmas

Hello, I am back and feeling fresh after two days of wonderful holiday celebrations... 

{!} Confession... I brought a couple manila folders, to my parents house, of things 

todo while we relaxed on the couch this holiday... but I didn't do any of it! It is not

 often I spend two days in a row not worrying about my todo list, but I did, and it 

was liberating. I felt like a rebel fighting for the cause of Christmas! FOR THE 

LOVE OF CHRISTMAS PUT DOWN THE PENCIL (haha). 

I was surrounded by my wonderful funny family while they were relaxing and chatting 

and it seemed more appropriate I join in than anything else. We just had such a great 

weekend! And great news came from my little sister who is now engaged! (Wow! 

Congratulations Kels!)

My parents cooked us an amazing Christmas Dinner than we celebrated late into the 

night with my Aunts, Uncles and Cousins. Dave and I had our Christmas exchange 

late Christmas night... he labeled all the gifts funny things like "Hermit Crab Eggs," 

"Brine Shrimp," and "Gold Bar from Fort Knox," it was so funny... I got a magic lens

 for my camera that makes all my photos look amazing and he got me a tile that says

 we are going to create a backsplash together! (What a cool idea!) Dave you are so cool! 

And if you were wondering about that weirdo photo of Cricket up there... Paige made 

Cricket expression eyebrows that we applied to make he the most adorable dog on 

the east coast! (I mean Oh My Gosh!)

Merry Christmas...Love, Me

Well. It is December 23rd and this will be my last post before Christmas. I 

wanted to take the time to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. I hope you find 

memories of Christmas' past flooding your senses while you sip your coffee 

and look at your tree this year. For me, those memories include footie pajamas, 

sleepless nights, a big wheels and my grandparents {xox}. And I hope that this 

Christmas brings with it a catalogue of new memories to fill your heart. 

This year we are celebrating Paige and Caleb's pregnancy and my engagement 

to Dave, so there are new memories to come. And while at one point I feared our 

family was getting smaller, it looks as if we might be on the cusp of it getting larger!

 Merry Christmas to you and yours! My Happiest wishes to you. 

Where will you be for Christmas?

We are very excited today! Paige is coming home for two weeks and we haven't seen

 her in 6 months! I am SO looking forward to it. And she is pregnant! (There is a baby 

growing inside of her and she is my sister... this is a brand new experience.)  Big 

Stuff this Christmas!

Interesting Facts About Christmas

Last Minute Fresh Ideas

Here are some last minute funky ideas from: Walnut Animal Society 

The Animal Print Shop and UnCommon Goods ... my favorite from UnCommon 

goods are these awesome Dancing Lion Speakers that dance to the beat and lip sync 

to the songs that you play on your ipod! (any child would devour that! {heck} I am 

27 and I want it!)

P.S. Zappos is offering Free shipping and Guaranteed delivery by 

Christmas when you order online. 

Meant for a Moment's Custom Holiday

Well, its been a busy holiday here for Meant for a Moment. Here is a peek of a few 

of the Custom Designs I created for Holiday Cards. Its been a lot of fun prepping for 

the holidays. I am SO happy they are right around the corner! Stay tuned for the 

unveiling of the whole collection. 

Make some one feel pretty...with these stuffers

Look at those glittery powdery pearls, I love the idea of mixing colors 

to get the proper skin tone... it makes it seem like you are working up a 

masterpiece when you are putting on your make up. And doesn't truffle oil 

make everything sound deliciously moist? Imagine a body lotion... I wonder.

 I love hoods. I think robes are highly under rated. Especially if you have

 a lot of windows {!} Have you ever used dry shampoo? Find them all here:   

Dry Shampoo Radiant Pearls Truffle Exfoliating Body Scrub Hooded Robe

Unique and Cool gift ideas

There are so many "COOL" things out there to gift this year. Check out these items if 

you are looking for unique gift ideas...I-Phone Carabeaner, Never Ending Story tablet

 cover, Alpaca Hot Water Bottles cover, Cute Card, Great Book, Bowling Set {!} 

Confusing Table Cloth... (Fork on right or left?)

Sisters {best friends for LIFE}

I am sandwiched between two sisters, both very cool and very different. Shopping 

for them is a lot of fun. I LOVE having sisters especially during the holidays! {xoxo}

Ideas: Scotch NailPolish, Classic by Nature Christmas Pillow, Lauren Haupt 

Heart Necklace,  Totally adorable Paw Sweater, Topshop, and 

Polaroid Cameras {!}

Gifts for your man {boyfriend, fiance, husband, lover}

Got a guy whose hard to shop for? Here are some ideas for your manly man, this winter, 

Nuts Online has a million different granola options that you can buy in bulk {yum} that 

can be coupled with a nice L.L. Bean winter coat. Or you can opt for the "Date outfit" 

from, J. Crew. {Dave hates buying clothse so anytime I buy him a nice shirt he is relieved 

to have something nice to wear.} If you are feeling adventurous, you could hop on Amazon 

and buy a cozy two person tent and schedule a camping weekend. Or buy a Nano and load 

it up with all of your favorite songs!