Friday, December 31, 2010

Senioritis On Goals

Is it more important to hit goals or to set goals? We have heard this question asked many times, so let's do a quick experiment (we love experiments).

Click the center of the target:



Try again:



Which was easier?

As important as it is for us to hit our goals it is more important for us to set them in the first place. As simple as that sounds and as silly as this experiment makes it seem, it's impossible to hit a target that isn't there.

We're just hours away from watching a big ball drop from the sky in Times Square, eating, kissing some loved ones, toasting to health, happiness, and success in the new year, and making some resolutions (not necessarily in that order of course). So, with that being said, in a last minute attempt to add some value to 2010 we give you our take on goals.

Goals

Far too often we find ourselves working towards fuzzy goals. We have done a bit of studying on the topic and no matter who the author or speaker is there's one common theme; goals need to be clearly defined. Experts on the subject* also recommend that goals are visible and written out several times daily.

SMAC

We like to keep things simple so when it comes to goals we like to follow the acronym smac. No, not smack like Adam West as Batman popping the Joker in the face. This smac is a bit different but when used properly can pack just as big a punch ;)



SMAC is an acronym that stands for specific, measurable, attainable, and challenging. Year after year, the most common goals and New Year's resolutions seem to center around health so let's take a quick look at how smac works using a health related goal.

Specific

I want to get in better shape in 2011.

When the clock strikes 12 and 2010 ends, millions of people will make this pledge. While better health is something we should all strive for, how specific is this goal?

If I lose 5 pounds will I be in better shape? Is it possible that I could gain 5 pounds and be in better shape (increase muscle mass and lower body fat)? While it's a great goal it lacks specificity.

A more clearly defined fitness goal could be something along the lines of: In 2011 I will lower my body fat percentage.

Measurable

As mentioned above, it is very difficult to hit a goal that lacks specificity. 'Better shape' is not necessarily easy to quantify or measure; body fat percentage on the other hand is very easy to calculate and measure. It is easy for us to figure out our starting point and set a clearly defined goal.

A clearly defined fitness goal that is also measurable could be: In 2011 I will lower my body fat percentage to 10%.

Attainable

When Tom Hopkins talks about goals he uses the approach better than your best but believable. We think that believable falls in line with the a of SMAC, attainable.

If our current body fat percentage was a great deal higher than 10%, setting this goal might not be attainable (for now); however, if our body fat percentage had been in the 10% range in the past and is now just slightly higher, this would be a great goal to shoot for.

Our clearly defined fitness goal that is measurable and attainable could be: In 2011 I will lower my body fat percentage to 10%.

Challenging

Our goals should be attainable yet still challenging. We have often heard that goals should be set so that they are hit 50% of the time. Don't you feel great when you set a challenging goal and hit it?

As a wise dude named Michelangelo once said, "The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark." Thanks Michelangelo.

There we have it, our specific, measurable, attainable, challenging, fitness related goal for 2011 is: In 2011 I will lower my body fat percentage to 10%!

Celebrate!

No, there's not a double C at the end of SMAC ;) We wanted to take a quick second though to stress the importance of celebrating your goals and your progress towards them.

Break your larger goals down into smaller goals; perhaps monthly, weekly, and even daily (for the bold out there), and be sure to celebrate when you have mini-successes that bring you closer to your larger goal!


We want to wish all of our readers a happy, healthy, and successful 2011. If you've already set some goals we would love to hear about them so don't hesitate to leave us a comment. One of our goals for 2011 is to include more business related posts on our blog but we'll get to the SMAC details after the ball drops ;)

*We at senioritis are not, nor do we pretend to be, experts on the subject(or any other subject for that matter). We do not play the role of 'goal experts' on tv but we have stayed at a Holiday Inn within the last 12 months ;)

Garrick @ Senioritis

Monday, December 27, 2010

I'm Dreaming of a White...

While we didn't quite have a white Christmas, we didn't have to wait too long for the snow to come. It started snowing a bit yesterday afternoon, and while I thought it was going to be just a quick flurry I was wrong. It snowed all day and well into the morning and we got a bit over a foot of snow. Enough of the rambling though, on to some pictures of the white stuff!

This is what it looked like when I went out this morning:



After about an hour of shoveling we got her to the top:



AWD & snow tires for the win! I don't think I'll ever get a car without all wheel drive. My sister's Subaru is an absolute beast in this weather ;)



For some reason this made me hugry:



Stay warm & enjoy the holiday season!

Garrick @ Senioritis

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Senioritis x Stoopher & Boots Photos

We just wanted to share some photos we snapped at the Senioritis x Stoopher & Boots event on 12.16. Thanks to everyone who was able to stop by!





You can check out all of the photos here. We hope you're all having an excellent holiday season; Happy Sunday ;)

Garrick @ Senioritis

Saturday, December 18, 2010

One small step for senioritis.

We are very pleased to announce that our Stars Stripes Space design has been chosen as a finalist in the NASA x Etsy Space Craft contest!

We'd like to take a moment to thank everyone who voted for our design and everyone who helped spread the word about the contest. You can check out all the sweet finalists here.

We'll keep everyone posted as we receive more info; just wanted to let you guys know that we're one step closer to making a giant leap ;) Have a great weekend!

Garrick @ Senioritis

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Senioritis x Stoopher & Boots

We're excited to announce that this Thursday we will be teaming up with Stoopher & Boots to celebrate the holiday season! If you're in NYC and dig our style, or just need to do some last minute shopping, swing by and say hello ;) More event info can be seen here.

stoopher & boots

Garrick @ Senioritis

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

WWSRD?

My Dell Inspiron laptop, which I do basically all of my work on, typically has a nice warm white light on the front when it's on or plugged in. Earlier this week I awoke to find a blinking red light where the warm white one usually is. At first I thought, 'Oh, that's pretty cool my computer knows it's holiday season. It must be blinking because it thinks it's getting new software or something.' Well, I powered on my laptop only to discover that the blinking red light was not a season's greeting but instead the indicator for a 'Permanent Battery Failure.'

Long story short(er), my computer doesn't recognize the battery and if the AC chord comes unplugged the computer turns off and all work is lost - ask me how I found that out ;) Dell recommends replacing the battery with a suitable Dell unit; which naturally can only be purchased through the Dell website. Dell will ship the replacement battery to my door for about $200.

So the question to you, our wonderful readers, is: Should I purchase a $200 battery from Dell or go with a more economical battery that doesn't carry the Dell name?

What woud senioritis readers do?

All input is appreciated ;)

Garrick @ Senioritis

Thursday, December 2, 2010

For the Benefit of All Man(be)kind

A while back we had mentioned creating a design for a NASA x Etsy Space Craft contest. Well, fast forward several weeks and we're excited to announce that our design, Stars Stripes Space, has made it into the voting round! We're very pleased to have our design among those selected and sitting alongside such cool work.

Our patriotic cmyk design pays tribute to NASA's successes and over five decades of stars, stripes, and space. If you dig our style or have dressed as an astronaut more than once on Halloween, we would love your support; so be kind and vote for us ;)

stars stripes space

You can vote for our design here; however, you must be an Etsy member to vote. Not an Etsy member? No worries, creating an account is quick and painless and can be done here.

Thanks a bunch, we appreciate your support in helping to send senioritis to space!

Garrick @ Senioritis

Sunday, November 14, 2010

The OOAK Tree

Once upon a time in a land far, far, far away, there stood a ginormous ooak tree...

At this point you may be asking, what's an ooak tree?

Well, that's the same question I asked when we first joined Etsy. Until joining the Etsy community I had never really heard the term ooak before. I had heard of pine trees, maple trees, even ooak's close relatives, oak trees, but I had never heard of ooak trees. I often found myself vexed looking at items described as ooak and trying to find the wood in the photos. Then one day the clouds of ignorance parted and I came to learn that ooak is not a type of tree at all but instead is an acronym standing for One Of A Kind.

This past weekend we had the opportunity to further immerse ourselves in one of a kind culture and check out the OOAK show in NYC. The show was very cool and had a wide variety of work on display. We'd like to give a quick shoutout to the folks over at Etsy for hooking us up with some free tickets (which were greatly appreciated).

We had a chance to talk to several artists and spotted a number of Etsians including Coy Clothes and Rebound Designs.

My sister picked up the coolest item of the day, a very sweet repurposed coat that I can best describe as a collabo between Hugh Hefner and the Corpse Bride. The jacket itself looks like it jumped out of a Ralph Lauren catalog from the 1970s and it has a bunch of really cool, brightly colored items sewn all over it. Words can not do this coat justice so I'll try to get my sister to post some pictures.

At the end of the day we had a chance to swing by the Etsy booth to shake a few hands, enter a raffle, make a button, and pick up a sweet calendar ;)

OOAK will still be in town next week from Thursday-Sunday so if you're in the area and looking for something to do go check it out. For more info on the event check out the OOAK site.

Happy Sunday, we hope you had a great weekend!

Garrick @ Senioritis

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Thanks + Giving = Thanksgiving

During a month centered around giving thanks we would like to pause for a moment and recognize a special day of thanks, today, Veterans Day.

We would like to extend a warm thank you to all the men and women that have served and continue to serve our great nation. Although you probably don't hear it often enough we want you to know that your actions are greatly appreciated. Thank you!

general george s. patton

As previously mentioned, November is a month that focuses on giving thanks so we just wanted to remind all of our readers of our Thanksgiving special in case you missed it in our November newsletter.

In the month of November we will be donating 1 tshirt for each order placed in our Etsy shop. Simply put: you buy, we say thanks, and then we give ;) The month is young and we already have 19 tshirts to donate so thanks to everyone who has stopped by our shop to check out what we do, you rock!


Garrick @ Senioritis

Friday, November 5, 2010

49 Days Until Christmas :: Gift Shipping Info

We're not counting the days or anything but someone told us the holidays are right around the corner ;) Over the past few weeks we have received several inquiries about items being ordered as gifts and shipped to a different address so we just wanted to post some quick info to make sure we're all on the same page.

Yes, we will gladly ship gifts provided that the recipient's address is confirmed prior to shipping. So what does that mean? Basically it will look something like this:

1. George W. finds a sweet print in our Etsy shop that he wants to get for his friend Ben F. George purchases the print and pays via paypal.
2. We receive the order. Geroge's shipping address is in Mt. Vernon; however, he would like the print shipped directly to Ben in Philly.
3. We send a message thanking George for his order and confirming Ben's address as:
Ben F.
1776 Liberty Bell Dr.
City of Brotherly Love, PA
4. George confirms that we have the correct address for Ben.
5. We ship the print to Ben.

We will not ship the print to Ben until George has confirmed his address.

We're also working on some holiday cards so that you can have a Famous Seniors style holiday greeting to go along with your gift! Any questions just let us know.


Garrick @ Senioritis

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Embracing Our Differences :: An Art Exhibit Celebrating Diversity

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever does.
-Margaret Mead


Those are some pretty powerful words. Words like these are at the center of the Embracing Our Differences art exhibit.

This past week we had the opportunity to check out the Embracing Our Differences Long Island art exhibit. Embracing Our Differences is an outdoor art exhibition celebrating diversity. The Long Island exhibit was put together by the Suffolk Center on the Holocaust, Diversity & Human Understanding.



The art exhibition, together with related activities and events, is intended to demonstrate, in a positive way, that diversity enriches our lives and that active rejection of prejudice and hatred enhances our own freedom.

The exhibit featured about 25 or so designs that were displayed as 12x16' billboards. Each piece of work contained a message focused on subjects such as diversity, unity, acceptance, coexistence, peace, and togetherness. Works on display were done by students, amateurs, and professional artists.



We are very excited and pleased to announce that one of our designs, 'The Same But Different', was part of the exhibit. Sticking with our Famous Seniors theme, our colorful graffiti inspired design pays tribute to Dr. King, Evita, Gandhi, & Mother Teresa; four people who actively encouraged the rejection of prejudice and hate during their lifetimes.



It was a blast checking out all of the designs and it’s always fun seeing different takes on a common theme. While taking a look at the designs was cool, the true highlight of the day was a brief talk about prejudice and acceptance from Holocaust survivor Werner Reich. Mr. Reich spoke about some of his personal experiences and raised the point that hatred is a feeling that has no bounds; the only cure for hatred is the complete elimination of the feeling.



The exhibit will be on display at the Grant Campus of Suffolk County Community College thru 10.31.10. The exhibit will then travel around a bit and will be on display at various events.

We would like to congratulate all artists that were part of the exhibit and we invite all of our readers to check out photos of the event. We would love to hear about which designs move you and which are your favorites.

In addition, there is currently an open call to artists for the 2011 Embracing Our Differences exhibit in Florida; for more info about the exhibit and entry process click here.

Men and women, young and old, black, white, red, brown, and yellow; varied people, cultures, and perspectives throughout the world. People - the same but different.
-senioritis

Garrick @ Senioritis

Monday, October 25, 2010

Sketchbook Project :: Part 5

Well, things have been pretty hectic recently and truth be told we haven't made much progess on our sketchbook the last few weeks. The plus side; however, is that we started super early and have until January to complete the project ;)

With that being said, this past week we started to lay out the plot for our story. We don't have many sketches yet but the story is coming along pretty well. For those who may have missed earlier updates, our theme is 'The Greatest Story Ever Told' and we are going to create a comic inspired design!

Looking forward, this week we plan to continue working on the plot of our comic and laying out a bit of the storyboard. We'll keep everyone posted.

We'll be giving a weekly update on the project here on our blog as well as posting progress photos on our Arthouse Co-op page.

If you're participating in the Sketchbook Project please let us know as we would love to follow your progress as well!

Garrick @ Senioritis

Sunday, October 17, 2010

A Very Big Week

Yesterday we had our first big show in New York City. We want to send a big thank you to the folks who organized the Crafts in Chelsea event as well as everyone who stopped by our booth. We had a blast getting to know some of our etsy friends and followers. For those of you who couldn't make it, here's a brief recap:

We started off the day optimistic, but a bit apprehensive about the weather. Winds were predicted at speeds of up to 40mph yesterday. It was our first time using our new huge, totally fantastic tent, and we had no idea how it would hold up in the wind. We definitely came prepared, though, bringing tent anchors, hoodies, and those nifty gloves without fingers. Despite the wind predictions, the hardest part wasn't keeping the tent standing, but getting it up in the first place. Where are those IKEA photo directions when you need them?

Once we were up and running, the day flew by. Our postcard-size prints were a huge hit, and we couldn't have asked for better guests in our booth. From little kids, to schoolteachers, stockbrokers, and tourists - we met all kinds of people and had a terrific time discussing our Famous Seniors and their notable quotes with everyone. Our booth was located just across the street from PS 11 and its fabulous Fall Festival. Unfortunately, we weren't able to hit the bouncy castle, but we did partake in bake sale goodies and get to see one of the most colorful murals we've encountered anywhere in Manhattan. If you haven't checked out this 50-foot mural in Chelsea, we suggest heading over there while the weather is still nice. You'll also find terrifically inspiring and vivid painting covering the outside walls of the elementary school. What a great place for a craft fair!

Side of PS 11

Some more photos of the event can be seen on Flickr.

Crafts in Chelsea was no doubt an excellent way for us to kick off the next very big week for Senioritis. You may have read about our selection in the Embracing Our Differences Exhibit. If anyone is going to be in the Long Island, New York area during the next week, we highly recommend that you stop by the exhibit and check out the billboard-sized winning designs. We guarantee you'll leave inspired.

And now, we're off to enjoy the rest of the weekend. Happy Sunday!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Featured Artist :: Lunabee

lunabee

This week's featured artist is Lunabee!

Senioritis: Hey Lunabee, thanks for sitting down with us. Where are you from?
Lunabee: Newcastle, UK

Senioritis: Can you tell us a little about yourself please?
Lunabee: I am an illustrator with a love of creating cute characters with a darker side to them. I illustrate digitally with my trusty wacom tablet and mac and I also paint toys which I have been doing for just over a year.
Senioritis: Very cool! We love your characters and your custom toy work. We have yet to try using a tablet but would love to pick one up at some point; looks like much more fun than a mouse ;)

Senioritis: Marlon Brando: Streetcar Named Desire or the Godfather?
Lunabee: Either, I'm not a fan!



Senioritis: Lunabee, how would you describe your work to someone who has never seen it before?
Lunabee: Cute, Creepy, Fluffy, and Bright.

Senioritis: What's the best business tip you have ever received and who gave it to you?
Lunabee: My Dad who told me, in the nicest way possible, to 'toughen up kid' when I first started out with my design/illustration business. I think there's a fine line between being nice and being walked over.
Senioritis: Excellent tip indeed and I think it's something we all need to be reminded of every now and then.

sokoro the eldest madl

Senioritis: Lunabee, what's your favorite sport to either watch or play?
Lunabee: I love cycling but I don't have the patience to sit watching sport, I'd rather be off doing something creative.
Senioritis: Interesting point. I find that even when I'm watching some type of sporting event I usually have my laptop in front of me and I'm working on something.

Senioritis: Chevy Chase: Fletch or Three Amigos
Lunabee: I adore Chevy Chase. I'd prefer National Lampoons Christmas Vacation but Fletch if I have to choose between these two :)
Senioritis: We would go with Fletch as well & all of the Vacation movies are classics. Chevy Chase is a comedic genius!

Senioritis: Do you have a favorite quote?
Lunabee: 'All I can do is be me, whoever that is' - Bob Dylan
Senioritis: Ahh yes, the wisdom of Mr. Dylan!

zelus the tiger god

Senioritis: If you could jump in the DeLorean and go back in time; what’s one thing you would do differently in your business?
Lunabee: Speaking solely for the 'toy painting' side of my business, I really don't think I would change anything. It's been a steady learning curve that I am still on and I'm enjoying every minute of it. I've probably made a few errors of judgement along the way but I've learned from them and that’s the most important thing.
Senioritis: When we first got into collecting vinyl we tried to make a custom and man was it a disaster. We have since given up on the custom side and stick to the collecting side ;) I'm not sure people truly appreciate how much time, energy, and effort goes into designing and painting pieces that are sometimes no bigger than the palm of your hand. We think your designs rock and we're glad to hear you're still enjoying the process!

Senioritis: If the $100 bill needed a redesign, who would you put on it?
Lunabee: Well being from the UK I'd feel pretty guilty having it be my choice but if it was I think I would have to go for Bob Dylan. I am a massive fan of his music and him as a person; he is utterly inspirational to me. It’s a very personal choice so I'm not sure everyone would be happy with that!
Senioritis: It's ok Lunabee, there are quite a few Dylan fans on this side of the pond who we're sure would have no objection ;)

Senioritis: Where can we find you on the web?
Lunabee: lunabee.co.uk is where you can find any toys I have up for sale. I try to ensure that I get 1 -2 toys up a month at least :) The lovely TOYSREVIL blog is normally very much on top of all my releases and news. I also have my twitter account which I use daily to keep my followers up to date on what I'm working on.

custom liberty

Senioritis: James Bond: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, or Daniel Craig?
Lunabee: Daniel Craig all the way, Bad ass Bond is awesome!
Senioritis: While many of our featured artists are partial towards Mr. Connery, we're with you. While we appreciate all Bond films and actors we're a bit partial towards the newer films with Daniel Craig. The newer Aston Martins aren't too shabby either ;)

Senioritis: Any shoutouts Lunabee?
Lunabee: Huge thank you to my very good friend Cris Rose for getting me involved in the whole toy customizing scene in the first place, I wouldn't be doing any of this without his guidance and support. :) Also a shoutout to my favorite artist 64colors who constantly inspire and amaze me with their work!

Thanks for taking the time to sit down with us and let us know a bit more about the person behind Lunabee's awesome creations. We wish you continued success and look forward to seeing your new designs. Please swing by Lunabee's site to check out her new LE skelanimal release and pick up some of her sweet work!

Garrick @ Senioritis

Monday, October 4, 2010

Socratic Method-Legally Blonde is fairly accurate

Let me first begin by apologizing for my several-month-long hiatus. Between my internship this past summer and preparing for law school blogging just didn't make the top priorities list although it probably should have.

All of this is behind us now, I have survived my first month of law school and can now get back to my pre law school rituals such as sharing my life with all of you. Law school is both exactly how I pictured it and not at all how I imagined it to be. The first couple of weeks were a breeze, all my professors seemed incredibly nice and understanding and we moved at a glacial pace through the material. Sadly, this trend ended after the third week. Suddenly I was assigned five or six cases a night per a class and had at least two writing assignments per week. I, who had been thinking I could handle law school no problem, had one of those "oh sh!t" moments where it suddenly hit me: Law school is hard. I took several law classes in undergrad and got through them with relative ease. Sure they had been more work than my other classes but nothing I couldn't manage while still finishing my work in time to watch Gossip Girl at 8. I imagined I was well prepared for law school and would get through my classes just fine.

While I still believe I will make it through, I now realize it will require a whole lot more effort. It is not enough to have simply read the cases for class. I must know the cases, know the facts, the reasoning behind the court's decisions, and how a court would apply that law to subsequent cases. Not only must all this info somehow make it to my brain but I need to be able to apply it and analyze it quickly when called upon in class. This is where the real accuracy of Legally Blonde comes into play. I first learned of the Socratic Method when Elle was called on at random during her first class at Harvard Law School. Just as in the movie my professor's all have seating charts and since my school is nifty those seating charts are equipped with each student's picture. Professors take a look at the seating chart and call out a name. This poor student is then asked a series of questions which can take as little as five minutes or the entire hour class period. Unfortunately, I have a simple name "Jill" so my contracts professor has learned it by heart. I am often the student called on to give a brief of at least one of the cases we had to prepare for that class. While it is terrifying to be called on it has really made me be prepared for class. I now know what my professors are looking for and what they expect me to get from each of the cases we have read. So I might be crazy but I kinda like the socratic method.

So while I spend most of my hours reading away in the library, I have managed to maintain a mildly active social life. Weekends take on a whole new meaning and importance when you really are busting your butt five days a week. Luckily, Vermont is gorgeous and offers a plethora of distractions if you choose to accept them. From farmer's markets, to wine tastings, to hiking trails, and rugby games I never have trouble finding something to take my mind off my studies. Now that the leaves are changing it is absolutely breathtaking here and so I take every opportunity I get to go outside. Sadly the leaves changing coincides with the temperature dropping so I need to always be sporting a hoodie. I suppose that is the price I pay for choosing a school in New England.

Alas, I must be going. It is 1:20 and I still have two more classes, a meeting, a study group, and about a bajillion pages to read for tomorrow. Until next week, stay lazy friends, I wish I could.

Jill @ Senioritis

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Sketchbook Project :: Part 4

This marks the fourth week with our moleskin sketchbook! We started preparing for a craft show that's in a couple of weeks so we didn't have a ton of time for sketching this week but we were able to draw Jack's back.

Jack has been our mascot for some time now but surprisingly enough we never drew him from the back (I guess not too many people would be interested in a tshirt or sticker of his back). The plan was basically to reflect our regular drawing of Jack vertically and then fill in his face with hair ;) Here's what we came up with:



For those of you who had a chance to check out our October newsletter, we announced that we have decided to give our sketchbook a comicbook look!

This week we hope to start coming up with the plot of our comic and laying out a bit of the storyboard. We have to continue preparing for the show as well as finish an article design before its deadline so we'll see what we can accomplish ;)

We'll be giving a weekly update on the project here on our blog as well as posting progress photos on our Arthouse Co-op page.

If you're participating in the Sketchbook Project please let us know as we would love to follow your progress as well!

Happy Sunday ;)

Garrick @ Senioritis

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Featured Artist :: Emily Finan Art & Illustration

emily finan art & illustration

This week's featured artist is Emily Finan Art & Illustration!

Senioritis: Name and location please.
Emily Finan: Emily Finan and I live just outside of Detroit, Michigan.
Senioritis: Hey Emily!

Senioritis: Can you tell us a little about yourself Emily?
Emily Finan: I'm a 20-something artist, art student, and teacher from Detroit, Michigan. I'm working on a degree in studio art as well as art education; and I spend all my free time drawing, painting, and playing with my puppy Vinnie. Lately I have been working on a series of drawings inspired by old photographs of little Victorian girls. After working with a fantastic print house I'm excited to be offering prints in my Etsy shop.
Senioritis: Very cool, what type od dog is Vinnie? Your Victorian inspired drawings are great. We especially like the way you can see the textures on the bows, clothing and accessories. It's as if a real bow is placed on the drawing, sweet work.

Senioritis: Curious George or Cat in the Hat?
Emily Finan: Book wise, Cat in the Hat. It was my absolute favorite as a toddler! Movie wise, Curious George; so much cuter than Mike Meyers in a cat costume.

tea party

Senioritis: Which words would best describe your style?
Emily Finan: Cute, Simple, Awkward, and Illustrative.

Senioritis: What's the best business tip you have ever received and who gave it to you?
Emily Finan: When I was starting to think about selling my work, my financial guru of a father told me "You'll work twice as hard as you expect, spend twice as much as you planned, and in the first year or so the best you can hope for is to break even (but you'll probably lose money.) Know this, and never give up." And he was absolutely right.
Senioritis: Excellent words of wisdom. We think it's pretty common to underestimate how much time and effort it will take to create, market, and sell our work. Sometimes the results don't show right away but we have found that if you love what you do and never give up people will start to take notice!

nautical prints

Senioritis: Emily, what's your favorite sport to either watch or play?
Emily Finan: Gotta love watching Detroit Red Wings hockey, and despite my lack of hand-eye coordination I really love playing badminton.
Senioritis: Wow, I haven't played badminton in ages. I always enjoy watching it in the Olympics, the athletes make you appreciate how much strategy is involved in the sport.

Senioritis: Alice in Wonderland or Charlie & the Chocolate Factory?
Emily Finan: The original Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, hands down. The movie entranced and appalled me as a child and as much as I love Johnny Depp you just can't beat Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka.
Senioritis: We would have to agree, original Charlie & the Chocolate Factory for the win!

Senioritis: Do you have a favorite quote?
Emily Finan: "Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten. Then when you hit puberty they take the crayons away and replace them with dry, uninspiring books on algebra, history, etc. Being suddenly hit years later with the 'creative bug' is just a wee voice telling you, 'I'd like my crayons back, please.'"
— Hugh MacLeod
Senioritis: Great quote. With art programs taking a back seat in many schools it seems that the crayons are being taken away at an even younger age these days.

girl with parasol

Senioritis: If you could jump in the DeLorean and go back in time; what’s one thing you would do differently in your business Emily?
Emily Finan: If I could hop in the DeLorean I would probably pack it full of sketchbooks and go back in time and draw; draw everything I possibly could. As far as my business, I don't think I'd change a thing. It took a while, but I've finally found some sort of balance between making art and starting a business.

Senioritis: If the $100 bill needed a redesign, who would you put on it?
Emily Finan: I think it would be really cool to do away with faces on currency; or maybe do away with currency all together and trade vegetables and fire wood instead, hehe.
Senioritis: Hmm, an advocate of the barter system ;)

Senioritis: Where can we find you on the web Emily?
Emily Finan: My website, on flickr, and on Etsy.

autumn portrait

Senioritis: The Flinstones of the Jetsons?
Emily Finan: Though I watched both shows equally, I think I would have to vote for the Flinstones. Dinosaurs are cool :)

Senioritis: Any shoutouts Emily?
Emily Finan: I'd love to say hi to my supportive family and amazing friends! You guys are the best :)

Thanks for spending some time with us Emily; your work rocks and we wish you continued success. Be sure to swing by Emily's Etsy shop to view more of her work!

Garrick @ Senioritis

Sunday, September 26, 2010

And the answer is...

A little earlier we asked if anyone could guess how many prints we cut today without going over:

004

Well, the answer is:

and the answer is

We didn't get many high guesses so the winner is HeatherKingPhoto! Thanks for taking a guess Heather, your bookmark will be mailed out tomorrow ;)


Garrick @ Senioritis

Sketchbook Project :: Part 3

This marks the third week with our moleskin sketchbook; but sadly we don't have many updates to report this week.

After doing a bit of research online we were able to pick up a set of needles and wire that we plan to use when it comes time to re-bind our sketchbook:



I described what we're looking to do as far as the re-binding to a lady at the store and she basically said 'Oh, as long as you can sew a button you should be fine.' I've never sewn a button so we'll see how this one goes ;) If anyone has some sewing tips for sewing paper into a moleskin sketchbook we're all ears!

Hopefully next week we'll be able to make a bit more progress with our sketchbook.

We'll be giving a weekly update on the project here on our blog as well as posting progress photos on our Arthouse Co-op page.

If you're participating in the Sketchbook Project please let us know as we would love to follow your progress as well!

Happy Sunday ;)

Garrick @ Senioritis