senioritis blog

Save the Internet!

2012-01-18T19:17:00.004-05:00

This censorship nonsense will greatly inhibit our ability to adequately source quotes and thereby continue to provide the world with colorful inspiration. Learn more about PIPA and how to stop it.

Holiday Shipping Dates

2011-12-11T15:30:00.004-05:00

The holidays are upon us so we just wanted to take a moment to share some important shipping dates.

If you would like a gift to arrive in time for the holidays (calculated as December 25) please keep the following dates in mind.

Domestic Shipping USPS

First-Class Mail December 19

Priority Mail December 20

Express Mail December 21

If you have any questions about holiday shipping don't hesitate to contact us.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T06:07:00.003-04:00

Happy Halloween everyone! If you're dressing up, or have a cool costume in mind, we'd love to hear about it so please feel free to share in the comment section.

A short Halloween video for your viewing pleasure:

Have a great day!

A Pull Here, A Tuck There :: A Canvas Stretching Tutorial

2011-10-13T17:05:00.001-04:00

Today we take a look at The Art of Canvas Stretching in a few simple steps.

Whether creating your own artwork or picking up finished pieces, if you consider yourself a true manly man this is a good skill to have in your arsenal. If you find yourself thinking that stretching canvas is not manly, please note that it involves a hammer, a staple gun, and that most professional canvas stretchers look like this (phenomenal photo via Matthew Rainwaters).

Preparation

As Sun Tzu reminds us, victorious warriors win first and then go to war. In other words, preparation is key so lets take a look at what we'll need:

-Hammer
-Staple Gun
-Ruler/Tape Measure
-Towel (or some other clean soft surface)
-Stretcher Bar Frame
-Canvas

While canvas stretching can be a one man job, we've found that it never hurts to have an extra set of hands for larger sized canvases.

Step One: Position the Frame

The first thing that we want to do is position the stretcher bar frame on our canvas. Positioning the frame is important because this will determine whether or not the design is centered when we finish stretching the canvas.

Place the canvas face down on your clean soft surface and use a ruler/tape measure to make sure that the frame is centered.

Step Two: Staple The Sides

Once the frame is in place, starting on the side closest to you, fold the canvas towards the center (make sure it's pulled tight) and put a staple into the center of the stretcher bar. Continue to do this until the canvas is stapled to the stretcher bar on all four sides. At this point your canvas will look like so:

Continue to add staples to each side, two at a time, working outwards from the center staple. The number of staples per side will vary depending on the size of the canvas you're stretching but once you have three to five staples per side (larger canvases will require more) you're ready to fold and staple the corners.
Tip: Don't staple too close to the corners or you won't be able to fold them

Step Three: Fold The Corners

Your canvas should now look something like this:

Note how the top two corners are sort of pinched together-this is what will naturally happen as your staples get close to the corners. To secure the corners you want fold the middle part of the corner (the part that is sticking up on the top two corners) towards the center of the canvas and place a staple as seen in the bottom left corner of the photo above.

Once the corner is secure you can fold the two sides over and add a couple more staples to get something like this:

Repeat this for the three remaining corners and you're almost done. Before flipping over the canvas to see your new masterpiece, use your hammer to make sure that none of the staples are sticking out. Once completely secured your canvas should look like so:

Depending on the thickness of your stretcher bar frame you can hang the canvas by simply resting it on nails (for thick bars) or you can use screw eyes and braided wire.

Tip: If using screw eyes and wire, place the eyes about 1/3 of the way down from the top of the canvas

Step Four: Hang and Bask in the Glory

You're done! Step back, stroke your beard, and admire the awesomeness that you have created. Happy stretching!

Senioritis at Sea Cliff Mini Mart

2011-10-08T08:54:00.010-04:00

What do you get when you combine good weather, great food, sweet tunes, and a huge crowd? The 42nd annual Sea Cliff Mini Mart!

After checking out last year's event we were fortunate to have the opportunity to set up as a vendor at last Sunday's Mini Mart. Filled with all types of handmade goodness and enough food to keep you full all day the Mini Mart was a blast. Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth to browse and chat.

We definitely plan on returning to next year's Mini Mart and if you're within driving distance of Sea Cliff, we recommend you check it out too.

Here's a quick shot of our booth, just click to see more.

Kidrobot x Swatch

2011-09-25T21:21:00.008-04:00

Just wanted to take a brief moment and share the pure awesomeness that is the new kidrobot x swatch collection. As big vinyl fans and long time swatch enthusiasts, when we heard that kidrobot was going to team up with swatch to design a line of watches and dunnys we were pretty stoked.

We finally had the chance to swing by kidrobot ny a few weeks back and view the collection. With designs from the likes of Frank Kozik, Joe Ledbetter, Tilt, MAD and others this collection is full of win. With the help of @kidrobotny(thanks again) we were able to track down a limited edition kidrobot x swatch case which includes eight watches and dunnys and a super sweet 'stached 20" Kozik dunny.

Enough of the rambling, just click below to check out more photos of the collection.

Happy Sunday!

Dropping Soon: Stars of the Silver Screen Collection

2011-06-26T18:30:00.018-04:00

What do you get when you blend famous movie lines and senioritis styling? Our newest collection of course, Stars of the Silver Screen.

Our new collection of tributes pays homage to some of the most prolific names in Hollywood history. The collection will be available in our Etsy shop in the coming weeks.

The designs are filled with Tinseltown awesomeness; but don't take our word for it, here's what some other people have to say about the collection:

"I am honored and grateful that you have invited me to your home on the day of your daughter's wedding. May her first child be a masculine child and may he have one of these prints hanging in his nursery." - Luca Brasi

"I love these prints. I once hung one in my pajamas. How it got in my pajamas, I have no idea." - Groucho Marx

"Frankly, my dear, we should all give a damn!" - Clark Gable's response to the new collection

"This collection could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship." - Humphrey Bogart

Here's a sneak peek at the first few designs:

Rain, Rain, Go Away

2011-05-20T06:37:00.016-04:00

In the midst of what seemed like a never ending string of rainy days, it cleared up just long enough to check out a car show last weekend. The show was put together by a local newspaper and drew a pretty impressive amount of cars.

Here's a few of my favorites from the hundres of cars that were in attendance:

Tiki King

The Judge

I think the wildest car at the show was this Sterling GT

Seal of approval from Mr. Carroll Shelby on a sweet Gulf colored Cobra

One of my all time favorite cars, the Chevy Nomad

Mustang

Fiat

F100

Citroen

New Charger, thought this guy looked pretty mean

Classy 1952 Jaguar

On a separate note, we will be at a Car & Crafts show this upcoming Sunday (5/22). The show will start at 11am and will be held at the East Northport Stop & Shop, so if you're out on Long Island and dig checking out cars, swing by and say hi!

Sticker Time!

2011-04-10T15:12:00.008-04:00

April showers bring sticker contests! We recently got some new stickers which means time for another sticker contest. This time around we will be giving away a tshirt of our mascot Jack ;)

Rules are pretty simple:
1: Email, direct message, or send us a smoke signal with your address and we'll send you over some stickers.
2: Slap the stickers somewhere fun and creative, and snap photos.
3: Post your photos on our facebook page and if we like your photos the best we'll send you a tshirt ;)

To give people plenty of time to enter, and to make sure it's warm enough to wear a short sleeve shirt when we send you your prize, this contest will run through June. If you'd like some inspiration you can check out some sticker shots here.

Good Luck!

When In Rome

2011-03-26T08:32:00.013-04:00

Let me start this post by saying that I am a huge oatmeal fan. I eat it fairly regularly, regardless of season, and love trying new types.

A few months ago I noticed an ad that McDonald's added oatmeal to its menu. I didn't think much of it at the time and eventually forgot all about it. Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, while I was on a trip I found myself at a rest stop and saw a huge full window ad for McDonald's new oatmeal. It was time to give it a shot. I must say I was rather skeptical, I asked the person taking my order if they had ever tried the oatmeal and they told me that they had, and found it surprisingly good. That's good to hear I thought.

I got my cup of oatmeal and went on my way back to the car. When I took off the lid the first thing I noticed was a pretty good serving size, maybe not enough for a full meal but definitely enough for a snack. I took my first spoonful and was very pleasantly surprised, this oatmeal is phenomenal I thought! From what I gathered McDoanld's starts with plain oatmeal (or maybe maple & brown sugar flavored oatmeal) and adds some more maple, apples, raisins, and cranberries. The different flavors mix together wonderfully.

I was so impressed with McDonald's take on oatmeal that I wanted to recreate the taste when I got home. Before trying McDonald's oatmeal I had never even thought of adding apples. The only fruits I had ever added to my oatmeal were banana, mango, strawberries, and kiwi (not all at the same time) but when in Rome...

Senioritis Oatmeal

*For the sake of convenience I use a microwave instead of a stove to make my oatmeal. I have made it on the stove in the past and feel that using the microwave doesn't sacrifice much in the way of taste and saves a bunch of time.*

Ingredients:
1 bowl of oats
1 diced apple
1 box of raisins
2 handfuls of cranberries
1 punch of maple sugar (not to be confused with a pinch)

1. Pour yourself a healthy sized bowl of oats and add enough water so that the oats begin to float around a bit - the more water you add the creamier your oatmeal will become, remember you can always add more water later on but you can't take it away ;)
2. Microwave on high for 2 minutes - if the oatmeal comes out like concrete no worries, just add some more water and mix
3. Add apple, raisins, cranberries, and maple sugar

4. Mix, mix, mix
5. Add an apple wedge for style points, step back and admire

There you have it, Senioritis Oatmeal, Bon Appétit!

Run Penguin, Run!

2011-03-19T15:10:00.005-04:00

Last week it was brought to our attention that the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) was holding a design contest for the their Run For The Wild 5K run at the Bronx Zoo coming up at the end of April. After recently entering a design contest for the Lincoln Tunnel Challenge 5K, and making it into the quarter-finals, we figured why not give the WCS contest a shot.

The money raised from this year's Run For The Wild will help protect the penguins of Punta Tombo, and therefore the design needed to be penguin related.

We put a simple twist on a classic running man design and are proud to share our 'running penguin' design. Yes, even a penguin can break a sweat running through the Bronx Zoo in late April ;)

The finalists will be announced soon so please cross your flippers for us and we'll keep everyone posted.

Happy President's Month!

2011-02-24T05:48:00.007-05:00

I remember when I was a wee lad we got a day off from school every February for President’s Day. Each year our day off would be preceded by a couple weeks of studying up on various Presidents and a cool class project. Fast forward a few years and President’s Day turned in to President’s Week and we got a whole week off from school, pretty sweet!

I’m not sure if kids will ever have a full month off from school in honor of El Presidente but with a little bit of wall space our nation’s leaders can be celebrated year round. Here are a few Presidential favorites from our Famous Seniors line:

Please visit our Etsy shop to see more of our Presidential tributes. Have a favorite President that you don’t see listed? Don’t hesitate to contact us and we’ll see if we can come up with something. Hail to the chief, Happy President’s Month!

Abe's On The Move!

2011-02-23T17:05:00.005-05:00

Afternoon readers, today we have some cool news to share. Earlier this week we found out that our tshirt design for the 2011 Lincoln Tunnel Challenge 5K was selected as a quarter finalist! The race will be held in April and is put together by Special Olympics New Jersey. The winning design will be selected by voting, and will ultimately be printed on the tshirt that will go to all race participants.

As you can see in our design, Abe is making his way out of the tunnel but he needs your help. Please click here to vote for our design and help Abe find his way. He would be very appreciative, honestly.

You can vote every four hours as many times as you like, so remember, vote early and vote often. The quarter finals round of voting ends Monday 2/28 at 12PM EST, we’ll keep you posted. Thanks for your support!

A Tribute to the High Flyers

2011-02-20T22:12:00.000-05:00

Flash back a few decades. You tell someone that you are going to run and then jump, soar roughly 13 feet in the air, and throw a ball through a goal that is 10 feet off of the ground. What would they say? Well, their first reaction probably would have been laughter, then they would probably call you crazy. This week we recognize the crazy. This week we pay tribute to the imaginative high flyers who took dunking to a new level.

With All-Star weekend drawing to a close, I figured what better time for a video tribute to some of the game's high flyers. With a long and distinguished list of high flyers including the likes of Dominique Wilkins, Vince Carter, Larry Nance, Spud Webb, Dee Brown, Jason Richardson, Dwight Howard, Nate Robinson, and Andre Iguodala, we had a rough time deciding who to include in the tribute so we took inspiration from last night's Sprite Slam Dunk Contest.

For those who didn't have a chance to see the contest, it was excellent. Each dunker brought their A game and put on a great display of athleticism and creativity. At the end of the night Blake Griffin beat out Javale McGee in the voting but we think it could have gone either way (personally I think the choir pushed Griffin over the top).

While the two finalists put on quite a show my favorite dunk of the night was performed by Serge Ibaka. Ibaka's first dunk of the night added a new level of awesomeness to a Slam Dunk Contest classic, the foul line dunk. While many have performed the dunk, the best recognized examples come from Dr. J and Michael Jordan. So what made Ibaka's dunk so sweet you may ask; well, check out the video, Ibaka was fully behind the foul line on takeoff(I think it was the shoes)!

Here's a few more sweet dunks from last night and over the years:

High flyers, thanks for confirming that imagination is indeed more important than knowledge, we salute you. Happy Sunday!

Good Things Come To Those Who Wait

2011-02-13T07:59:00.008-05:00

It's somewhat hard to believe that as I write this more than 1/12 of the year has passed us by; but as our good friend Ferris reminds us:

With that being said, we figured it's time to put our 2011 Senioritis Remebers Famous Seniors wall calendar on sale! Our calendar is currently on sale for $65 (normally $85), that's over 20% off and we include free shipping.

The calendar includes 13 8x10" designs that are ready to be cut out and framed at the end of each month, for year round colorful inspiration. That's only $5 for each 8x10" print which means you can buy a few frames, give the prints as gifts at the end of each month and look pretty swell ;)

More info about our calendar can be seen here. It would appear that good things do, in fact, come to those who wait after all. Happy Sunday!

Run Abe, Run!

2011-02-03T09:01:00.004-05:00

My sister found out about the Lincoln Tunnel Challenge 5K run about a month ago and after checking out the details dicovered that to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of the event, the organizer, Special Olympics New Jersey, is holding a contest to design a tshirt for the run. Abe Lincoln? Tunnels? New Jersey? Who could ask for a better combo? We figured let's give it a shot, so we just submitted our design for the 25th annual Lincoln Tunnel Challenge 5K earlier this morning!

We decided to go with an arms pumping image of Honest Abe emerging from an arch(symbolizing his escape from the tunnel). As an aside, this is what our 16th President actually looked like. He was just rarely seen in training and was more often photographed in a suit and hat. We chose to keep things simple and go with a yellow and black color combo as the design will be on a white shirt. To tie things together we included an image of the state of New Jersey in yellow on Abe's shorts.

There's still a few days left to enter the contest so if you would like to give it a shot check out this site. The finalists will be announced, and voting will begin, on 2/21; we'll keep everyone posted ;)

Time To Give

2011-01-30T18:22:00.007-05:00

Time has come today, well tomorrow if we're being technical. No, I'm not talking about the Chambers Brothers, I'm talking about our You Buy, We Thank, We Give program.

We would like to thank everyone who helped contribute to its awesomeness; with your support this past holiday season we have 115 tshirts to donate and tomorrow is the big day. Our shirts will be donated to the Vietnam Veterans of America.

Once again we'd like to thank everyone who helped out and we hope to run a similar program during the 2011 holiday season so stay tuned.

Streetwise Seniors Giveaway Tomorrow!

2011-01-24T07:40:00.009-05:00

We're pleased to announce that tomorrow, to help kick off the new year, we'll be teaming up with the folks over at the a little etsy love blog to give away some Streetwise Seniors gear!

So for all of you who dig our Streetwise Seniors line here's your chance to score some items for free ;) Swing by their blog tomorrow (or click here if you like head starts) for more info and to enter.

¡Buena Suerte!

One Chapter Ends & A New One Begins

2011-01-23T09:22:00.007-05:00

As we were finishing up our Sketchbook Project entry last weekend, I was relieved that we were able to make our deadline but I knew that we weren't out of the tunnel yet.

We had planned on creating our sketchbook digitally since day one, and our ultimate goal was/is to post our sketchbook to our site so that anyone can view it. Well, the time has come to get cracking on that task!

The Sketchbook Project tour is set to start in the beginning of March and we want to make sure that our sketchbook is up on our site and fully functional by then. We're not really sure how we're going to incorporate the sketchbook into our site so if you have any ideas we would love to hear them ;)

In the meantime here's a quick sneak peek at some of the characters in our story as well as the story's cover page. You can also visit our arthouse co-op page to see some actual photos of our sketchbook.

So as one chapter ends, a new one begins. Happy Sunday!

Alligators Can't Stick Out Their Tongues & Other Randomness

2011-01-16T18:48:00.011-05:00

I will start this post by saying that I intended to write this last Sunday evening; however, due to unforseen events I have not had the time to do so until right now.

Secondly, let me wish everyone a happy 2011! It seems like just yesterday I was making New Year's plans and now here we are with the first month of 2011 half over. Wow.

Thirdly, the above mentioned unforseen events centered around our entry for Art House Co-op's Sketchbook Project. At the last minute we decided to go in a different direction with our sketchbook and while the sketchbook has been in our posession for several months now, our story was started and completed within the last 7 days. As an aside, we would not recommend this approach for anyone who values their sleep or their sanity ;)

But now on to the truly pressing matter and the real reason for this post: Alligators can't stick out their tongues.

No, that's not an alligator. That's our 4 year old cousin who shared this bit of information with me last week. I asked her where she had heard about this as I'm a pretty avid Discovery channel fan and this was the first I had ever heard of these issues surrounding an alliagor's tongue. Her response was simple: My teacher told me. My first thought was wow, I went to school for quite a few years and none of my teachers had ever mentioned this fact. My second thought was man, how do alligators eat ice cream? My third thought was what would an alligator be doing with ice cream?

Although the alligator conversation with my cousin lasted only a few moments it reminded me of something Henry David Thoreau once said:

"Every man is my superior in some way. In that, I learn of him."

My 4 year old cousin reminded me that I don't know as much as I think I do and that we can all learn from everyone if we take the time to listen. Thanks to my 4 year old cousin, in 2011 I resolve to talk less and listen more. Thanks cuz ;)

Happy Sunday, more randomness soon.

Senioritis On Goals

2010-12-31T07:57:00.016-05:00

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 ;)

I'm Dreaming of a White...

2010-12-27T19:12:00.009-05:00

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!

Senioritis x Stoopher & Boots Photos

2010-12-26T08:02:00.005-05:00

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 ;)

One small step for senioritis.

2010-12-18T14:34:00.005-05:00

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!

Senioritis x Stoopher & Boots

2010-12-14T07:04:00.005-05:00

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.

WWSRD?

2010-12-08T16:02:00.004-05:00

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 ;)

For the Benefit of All Man(be)kind

2010-12-02T08:20:00.006-05:00

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 ;)

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!

The OOAK Tree

2010-11-14T21:24:00.005-05:00

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!

Thanks + Giving = Thanksgiving

2010-11-11T04:59:00.006-05:00

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!

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!

49 Days Until Christmas :: Gift Shipping Info

2010-11-05T16:25:00.005-04:00

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.

Embracing Our Differences :: An Art Exhibit Celebrating Diversity

2010-10-30T10:13:00.023-04:00

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

Sketchbook Project :: Part 5

2010-10-25T11:07:00.003-04:00

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!

A Very Big Week

2010-10-17T11:46:00.010-04:00

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!

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!

Featured Artist :: Lunabee

2010-10-13T07:22:00.038-04:00

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.

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!

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.

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!

Socratic Method-Legally Blonde is fairly accurate

2010-10-04T12:58:00.005-04:00

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.

Sketchbook Project :: Part 4

2010-10-03T18:14:00.007-04:00

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 ;)

Featured Artist :: Emily Finan Art & Illustration

2010-09-29T12:23:00.033-04:00

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

And the answer is...

2010-09-26T23:15:00.000-04:00

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

Well, 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 ;)

Sketchbook Project :: Part 3

2010-09-26T21:37:00.004-04:00

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 ;)

Featured Artist :: Watercolors, Fine Art & Prints by Carla Lovato

2010-09-22T06:20:00.001-04:00

This week's featured artist is Watercolors, Fine Art & Prints by Carla Lovato!

Watercolors, Fine Art & Prints by Carla Lovato - Enjoy the luscious colors and imagery of the whimsical creatures that inhabit the fantasy paintings of Carla Lovato.

Senioritis: Name and location please.
Carla Lovato: Carla Lovato, Oregon Coast.
Senioritis: Hi Carla, thanks for sitting down with us!

Senioritis: Can you tell us a little about yourself please?
Carla Lovato: I am a self-taught artist working in sculpture, watercolor and oil. I was born a Navy brat, in Hawaii, traveling most of my childhood from one coastline to the other. Long trips through the night in an old station wagon, I truly thought the moon followed me. I had never known what it meant to be “from somewhere” and learned very early, that life is about constant change.

Art always gave me comfort - a place to be “from,” perhaps this is why many of my images are about change, growth and energy. I no longer move every year, I spend time as a teacher and graphic designer. One day after many years of day-dreaming about this old derelict building, my husband and I purchased it. We fixed it up ourselves, paying as we went for all of the construction materials. We now live and work in the same building, doing what we love; creating art in a small coastal community. I recently found Etsy and it's a great way to get your artwork seen by a global community.
Senioritis: That's very interesting that you describe art as providing you with a place to be from. We have spoken to, and read about, many people who do a good amount of traveling and many have expressed similar feelings. No matter which coast or continent you may be on a blank canvas and a new sketchbook will always look the same. Art can provide consistency no matter where life may take you.

Congrats to you and your husband on breathing new life into a run-down building and doing it all on your own, that's awesome!

Senioritis: Marlon Brando: Streetcar Named Desire or the Godfather?
Carla Lovato: Streetcar Named Desire, I always depended on the kindness of others...

Senioritis: Which words would best describe your style Carla?
Carla Lovato: Colorful, Whimsical, Joyful and at times Surreal.

Senioritis: What's the best business tip you have ever received and who gave it to you?
Carla Lovato: An older gentleman who worked for SCORE (an organization that offers free help, guidance, and mentorship for small businesses) once told me:

*Be carful of what you spend on advertising - aim it at the right audience for what you sell
*Watch out for the hidden costs of doing business - insurance, fees, equipment, interest, shipping, re-stocking, supplies and utilities
I thought how can these relate to me an artist? Trust me they do.
Senioritis: SCORE is an excellent resource and those are some great tips. We think that with the advent of tools like twitter, facebook, and google adwords it has become easier for small businesses to reach their target audience on a global level; the trick still remains figuring out who that audience is ;)

Senioritis: Carla, what's your favorite sport to either watch or play?
Carla Lovato: Sport. . . hum . . . can I say Fiddle playing? Yes I know that is not a sport, but if you consider some fast fiddle licks, and dodging drunken customers while playing, it does occasionally appear to be like a sport.
Senioritis: Hmm, we were skeptical at first but if it involves dodging drunks we'll count it, not to mention the fact that it takes some athleticism to do anything this quickly.

Senioritis: Chevy Chase: Fletch or Three Amigos
Carla Lovato: Hum, how about Saturday Night Live? I loved his rendition of the clumsy president. If I had to pick one of these, it would probably be Three Amigos.

Senioritis: Carla, do you have a favorite quote?
Carla Lovato: Because our building was hit by a freak tornado while we were under construction my favorite quote is “Toto, I don’t think we are in Kansas anymore” said by Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of OZ.
Senioritis: Oh wow, there was some pretty crazy weather here in NY last week that we haven't seen in a while. Hopefully everything was ok and you didn't notice any witch's feet sticking out from under the building ;)

Senioritis: If you could jump in the DeLorean and go back in time; what’s one thing you would do differently in your business Carla?
Carla Lovato: Back in time...High School: I would hang out and work harder in math class instead of drawing cartoons on the black board for that "pity C” from the teacher. I sure could use the math now for doing taxes and bookkeeping. I lived in the art department.

Senioritis: If the $100 bill needed a redesign, who would you put on it?
Carla Lovato: I was rather fond of “Bill the Cat” from Bloom county. I think he would be fabulous, that eternal look of suprise, being stoned or run over by a car. It’s how I feel at times when I see one of those bills, especially in this economy.
Senioritis: We think Bill the Cat would work well on the $100!

Senioritis: Where can we find you on the web Carla?
Carla Lovato: My Etsy shop, and on twitter.

Senioritis: James Bond: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, or Daniel Craig?
Carla Lovato: No doubt on this one Sean Connery! Does that date me?
Senioritis: Nope, apparently the love of Mr. Connery transcends all ages!

Senioritis: Any shoutouts Carla?
Carla Lovato: I love our area here in Lincoln City Oregon! It is a great place to live and vacation: Taft Beach, Oregoncoast.org and my favorite Tavern for playing fiddle: Snug harbor Bar and Grill.

Thanks for sitting down with us and letting us know more about the person behind all of your great work. If you find yourself out on the Oregon Coast pay Carla a visit at the Once in a Blue Moon gallery where you'll find a great collection of whimsical, unique gifts & fine art!

Sketchbook Project :: Part 2

2010-09-19T12:22:00.000-04:00

We've now had our sketchbook for one week. Let us begin by saying we have no previous sketchbook experience and our immediate reaction when we opened our moleskin was, 'Wow, this paper is pretty thin.' Well, the paper IS very thin. We tried a pen on a couple of the sketchbook pages and tore right through; so, we made our first big sketchbook decision: we are going to use thicker paper.

This first decision paved the way for our second big sketchbook decision: we will be creating our sketchbook digitally. Much of our work is currently done digitally so we figured it's only natural to carry this style over to our sketchbook. We will ultimately print out our work and have to figure out how to rebind our sketchbook (sure that will be fun).

Enough of this rambling though, this is what we accomplished this week:

Photographed a pen & pencil drawing of Jack that we had so we could get him onto the computer:

After we got Jack onto the computer we redrew him in crisp black and white:

We then gave Jack a bit of color:

That's pretty much where we're at for now but we're excited to see where this week takes us ;)

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 ;)

The Wait Is Over (and some free stuff for you)

2010-09-17T21:05:00.034-04:00

If you've been going shirtless until now, good news, we can help you out! That's right, the wait is over. We are very excited to announce our new line of graffiti inspired Streetwise Seniors apparel & accessories. All items will be available through our Etsy shop.

All of our garments are screen printed by us using non-toxic water-based screen printing inks. Short sleeve designs are printed on American Apparel's super soft tri-blend track shirts while for hoodies we went with American Apparel's warm & comfy flex fleece zip-up. For starters we will have several designs and colors available, even some glow in the dark offerings ;)

Here's some quick shots of our new line:

Now some good news for you! To help introduce our new Streetwise Seniors line we will be including a FREE Streetwise Seniors canvas tote bag with the FIRST 5 apparel orders* placed through our Etsy shop. *Limit 1 free tote per order. No promo code necessary.

Our tote bags are made from 100% cotton 6 oz. canvas and measure 15"x16", here's a few photos:

Please visit our Etsy shop to see more of our work. Any questions about the new line or how to get a free tote don't hesitate to comment below or send us an email, info@senioritis.net.

Happy Friday!

Featured Artist :: Everybody Else

2010-09-15T06:25:00.004-04:00

This week's featured artist is Everybody Else!

Everybody Else - Art & Cards by Melody DuVal

Senioritis: Name and location please.
Everybody Else: Melody DuVal. Goshen, IN.
Senioritis: Hi Melody!

Senioritis: Can you tell us a little about yourself please?
Everybody Else: As a kid I just couldn't draw enough. I covered all available surfaces. At first that got me into trouble, but as I got older I started getting compliments and even requests. I went to college for graphic design and, thinking I wouldn't be taken seriously otherwise, kept my doodles out of the classroom. My last semester a friend convinced me to use them for a project, the professor raved about them and told me I should be in illustration. I was flattered, but I hadn't studied illustration and didn't think I would make the cut. After college I got a job designing local advertisements, but my boss noticed my in-meeting doodles and put me to work illustrating some books we were printing. Around the same time I heard about Etsy.com and thought it would be pretty low risk to print out some of my personal art and try to sell it on there. I started with cards, because I write a lot of letters and printing my own cards was cheaper than buying them in the store. I just printed extra and posted them on etsy. I wouldn't call my art an instant hit, but I'm slowly drawing an online following.
Senioritis: I used to draw all over everything as a kid also! Unfortunately I don't draw as much as I used to. We think your work is awesome Melody, really dig your style. We're glad your friend convinced you to use your doodles for the class project ;)

Senioritis: Marlon Brando: Streetcar Named Desire or the Godfather?
Everybody Else: Streetcar Named Desire.

Senioritis: How would you describe your style Melody?
Everybody Else: Colorful, Whimsical, Bright, Innocent.

Senioritis: What's the best business tip you have ever received and who gave it to you?
Everybody Else: I've never received any tips directly, but the Etsy forums have been a great way to find information and ideas.
Senioritis: The Etsy forums are a wealth of information indeed, we learn new things all the time.

Senioritis: What would you say is your favorite sport to either watch or play Melody?
Everybody Else: I'm not a sports person, but I enjoy a good game of soccer.
Senioritis: We've never really played soccer but we always enjoy watching the World Cup.

Senioritis: Chevy Chase: Fletch or Three Amigos
Everybody Else: I've never seen either.

Senioritis: Melody, do you have a favorite quote?
Everybody Else: “Imaginary evil is romantic and varied; real evil is gloomy, monotonous, barren, boring. Imaginary good is boring; real good is always new, marvelous, intoxicating.”
- Simone Weil
Senioritis: That's a very interesting observation.

Senioritis: If you could jump in the DeLorean and go back in time; what’s one thing you would do differently in your business Melody?
Everybody Else: I'd have more work ready to sell before I opened up shop.
Senioritis: Great point Melody. We're currently looking into selling at craft shows and the like and we've had to do some serious planning about how much inventory to build up before these events.

Senioritis: If the $100 bill needed a redesign, who would you put on it?
Everybody Else: I'd let Ben keep it. As a graphic designer I know you can't get too extreme in your re-branding or you lose your identity.
Senioritis: It's all about the Benjamins. We'd say that the current $100 bill design has a pretty strong identity ;)

Senioritis: Where can we find you on the web Melody?
Everybody Else: My Etsy shop, my blog, and on flickr.
Senioritis: We're glad to hear everything worked out ok with the bronze!

Senioritis: James Bond: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, or Daniel Craig?
Everybody Else: Sean Connery
Senioritis: Just when we thought the Connery trend was changing...

Thanks for sharing some info with us Melody. We wish you continued success and hope your online following continues to grow. Please swing by Everybody Else and check out all of Melody's sweet work!

Sketchbook Project :: Part 1

2010-09-12T19:10:00.007-04:00

This weekend we received our sketchbook for Arthouse Co-Op's 2011 Sketchbook Tour Project! For those not familiar with the project, you can read a bit more about it here.

The theme we went with was 'The Greatest Story Ever Told.' We've done a bit of brainstorming and have a few ideas to get the ball rolling ;)

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 ;)

Featured Artist :: Scarlett Design

2010-09-08T06:19:00.000-04:00

This week's featured artist is Scarlett Design!

Scarlett Design - Nature inspired illustrations, photography, and stationery.

Senioritis: Name and location please.
Scarlett Design: Ryan McGurl, Virginia Beach.
Senioritis: Hey Ryan, thanks for sitting down with us!

Senioritis: Can you please tell us a little about yourself?
Scarlett Design: I grew up in New England, living in both northern New Hampshire and the Boston area. After high school I took some time off, before I attended both the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Boston University, for graphic design and art history.
Three years ago I moved to Virginia Beach, where I currently live with my boyfriend and our two very spoiled dogs, Chewie and Panzer.

I enjoy hiking, camping, going to the beach, art, photography, knitting, crocheting, reading, traveling, gardening, and cooking, and I'm a dork. And I love that most days my job doesn't feel like work. I consider myself fortunate to have lived in several places, and experience the unique beauty of different areas.
Senioritis: Very cool Ryan, we have a bunch of family that lives not far from Boston. That's great that you have been able to move around a bit. What type of dogs do you have?

Senioritis: Marlon Brando: Streetcar Named Desire or the Godfather?
Scarlett Design: Godfather, I've never actually seen Streetcar.

Senioritis: How would you describe your style Ryan?
Scarlett Design: Fun, Colorful, Joyful, Intelligent.

Senioritis: Ryan, what's the best business tip you have ever received and who gave it to you?
Scarlett Design: "If at first you don't succeed, try again." I'm not sure who actually created that quote, and I know it’s a bit of a cliché, but recently while watching a documentary on American history I was struck by how often people who influenced history had failed before they became a great success.
Senioritis: We read a bunch of biographies and history books and have also found that it's those who are willing to fail the most that often find the greatest levels of success. Great tip Ryan!

Senioritis: What would you say is your favorite sport to either watch or play?
Scarlett Design: Hiking.
Senioritis: Hailing from New England we were a little concerned that you were going to say watching the Red Sox ;)

Senioritis: Chevy Chase: Fletch or Three Amigos
Scarlett Design: Fletch.

Senioritis: Do you have a favorite quote Ryan?
Scarlett Design: "There is a crack in everything, that is how the light gets in" Leonard Cohen
Senioritis: Very cool, we hadn't heard that one.

Senioritis: If you could jump in the DeLorean and go back in time; what’s one thing you would do differently in your business Ryan?
Scarlett Design: Spend more time on marketing when I first started my business
Senioritis: Absolutely, it definitely takes some effort to get the word out, especially in the beginning.

Senioritis: If the $100 bill needed a redesign, who would you put on it?
Scarlett Design: John Adams, he always seemed overlooked; perhaps because he wasn't as witty as Franklin.
Senioritis: We think Mr. Adams would look great! We recently designed a tribute to John Adams; he didn't quite make it on to a $100 bill but he did get on to the front of a composition notebook ;)

Senioritis: Where can we find you on the web Ryan?
Scarlett Design: My blog, facebook, flickr, and on twitter.
Senioritis: Looks like you have quite the web presence Ryan!

Senioritis: James Bond: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, or Daniel Craig?
Scarlett Design: Not sure, it used to be Roger Moore, but I'm really liking the new ones with Daniel Craig.
Senioritis: The new Bond movies are excellent.

Thanks for sitting down with us Ryan and letting us know a bit more about the artist behind Scarlett Design!

Mark Your Calendar, Senioritis Style

2010-09-05T15:02:00.017-04:00

What's the date of the third Thursday in March?

Well, we don't know either, but our new 2011 calendar has the answer ;)

We're very excited to unveil our Senioritis Remembers Famous Seniors 2011 Art Calendar. If you're looking for a fun, colorful, and inspirational way to keep track of 2011 we may have your answer.

You may be thinking, what's an art calendar? It's a calendar that incporporates artwork of course ;) Our art calendar goes a bit further than that though. While each design provides colorful inspiration for 28+ days, at the end of each month break out your scissors and our calendar is instantly transformed into an 8x10" ready to frame print. Decorate your office, hang them in your house, give the prints as gifts; whatever you choose is sure to be fun for all!

We started by sketching the layout and deciding which tributes to include in the calendar:

We ultimately decided on having the designs alternate between famous men and women as well as the following specs:

*Calendar measures 11x17"
*Multicolor designs printed on 80 pound cardstock paper
*Sprial bound across the top
*Hole punched for easy hanging
*Calendar can be cut down to make 13 8x10" ready to frame prints (12 months + cover)

When designing the calendar, in an attempt to keep things cost effective =), we sized our prints to fit in standard 8x10" frames which means no custom framing or matting is required (our Einstein print is shown in an 11x14" frame matted to 8x10")! We are also pleased to announce that we will be offering free worldwise shipping for our calendars ;)

Enough jibber jabber though, here's a few photos:

A slight variation on our tribute to Mr. Einstein graces the calendar's cover:

January features Amelia Earhart:

Mr. Melville helps welcome April showers:

Boris Karloff reminds us that Halloween is near:

For more detailed photos of each month's design please check out our Flickr page.

These guys are currently available in our Etsy shop ;)

Friday Finds 9.3.10

2010-09-03T19:41:00.009-04:00

What do you get when you mix graffiti inspired art x the wisdom of famous seniors? Our new line of Streetwise Seniors! We're excited to announce that Streetwise Seniors designs will be available not only in print form, but on apparel and accessories as well.

The new line will be available in our Etsy shop shortly but for now we'll leave you with some brief details and a couple photos to whet your apetite ;)

Streetwise Seniors apparel will be screen printed by us at senioritis hq on American Apparel garments. Tshirt designs will be offered on American Apparel's 50/25/25 Tri-blend track shirt and will have a sweet vintage look while hoodies will be offered on American Apparel's California Fleece zip up. We are also working on tote bags and some other accessories and we'll even have some glow in the dark items!

Keep your eyes out for a special promotion when Streetwise Seniors hits our shop. For the latest updates on this new line as well as everything else senioritis feel free to sign up for our monthly newsletter. Happy Friday & have an awesome holiday weekend!

Featured Artist :: Khali Nouveau

2010-09-01T06:10:00.000-04:00

This week's featured artist is Khali Nouveau!

Senioritis: Name and location please.
Khali Nouveau: Aiysha Khaalid; Boston, Massachusetts
Senioritis: Hi Aiysha!

Senioritis: Can you please tell us a little about yourself Aiysha?
Khali Nouveau: My name is A. Khaalid, nickname Khali. I am a full-time artist with a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts. I'm a painter, an illustrator, a mixed media artist, and a crafter. I am a stimulated artist and entrepreneur. I was a pottery artist for a private local company, a freelance artist as an interior home muralist, an art coordinator for an exclusive Dubai art gallery, and an art teacher.

In May 2010, I had my first solo art exhibition called 'Visions of Spring' which presented acrylic on canvas, illustration on printmaking paper, and art shadow boxes. In my shop I have some of these artworks available for sale and additional artworks are viewable on my website. KhaliNouveau was created to display my original artworks for others to appreciate my passion for painting and illustration.
Senioritis: That's awesome Khali, congrats on the solo exhibit it looks like it was a great set up! We especially enjoy your Endangered Species line, they look great on display together. You've done many things Khali, what have you enjoyed doing the most? How was your time in Dubai?

Senioritis: Marlon Brando: Streetcar Named Desire or the Godfather?
Khali Nouveau: Godfather.

Senioritis: How would you describe your style Khali?
Khali Nouveau: Colorful, Unique, Stylized, Authentic.

Senioritis: What's the best business tip you have ever received and who gave it to you Khali?
Khali Nouveau: My boyfriend is a great supporter and when I feel that things aren’t going so well he would say ‘Don’t give up’. Those simple words work out for me.
Senioritis: Always a good tip. In the words of the great Jimmy Valvano, "Don't give up, don't ever give up."

Senioritis: What would you say is your favorite sport to either watch or play?
Khali Nouveau: I don’t like any sports unless you count competitive reality TV shows.
Senioritis: Hmm, some of those shows are pretty intense!

Senioritis: Chevy Chase: Fletch or Three Amigos
Khali Nouveau: Three Amigos.

Senioritis: Do you have a favorite quote Khali?
Khali Nouveau: An artist is not paid for his labor but for his vision.- James Whistler
Senioritis: We've never heard that one before, awesome quote!

Senioritis: If you could jump in the DeLorean and go back in time; what’s one thing you would do differently in your business?
Khali Nouveau: I would have a whole body of new artworks ready to list online.
Senioritis: That would be cool. Investing an hour promoting a shop with 5 items takes just as long as investing an hour promoting a shop with 100 items ;)

Senioritis: If the $100 bill needed a redesign, who would you put on it?
Khali Nouveau: That’s a good question. I don’t have any particular person to be on the face of a $100 bill but seeing a woman's face would be an awesome change.
Senioritis: That would be cool, there haven't been too many women featured on U.S. currency.

Senioritis: Where can we find you on the web Khali?
Khali Nouveau: My site and on twitter.

Senioritis: James Bond: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, or Daniel Craig?
Khali Nouveau: Sean Connery.
Senioritis: Chalk up another tally for the Scotsman. Connery's popularity makes us wonder why they decided to cast a different 007 actor in the first place.

Senioritis: Any shoutouts Khali?
Khali Nouveau: Thanks mom for everything!

Khali, thanks a bunch for sitting down with us and sharing a bit about yourself and your work, it's awesome. Don't forget to visit Khali's online gallery as well as her online shop!

Front Page v. Etsy Finds :: A Senioritis Experiment

2010-08-29T07:17:00.029-04:00

Morning everyone! The idea for today's post stems from a conversation that was had in an Etsy Virtual Labs session about places to be featured. We figured why not pay tribute to some of science's greatest minds and conduct an experiment. Don't worry, you won't need a lab coat or goggles ;)

Question
Which place would it be more beneficial* to be featured: Etsy's front page or in an Etsy Finds email?

*Level of benefit will be determined by the following measures:

-Visits
-Pages/Visit
-Time on Site
-Bounce Rate
-Favorites/Hearts

Background Research
At the time of the Virtual Lab session the question seemed pretty valid but we didn't really give it much thought so let's take a closer look. While a Front Page feature travels with a certain level of prestige, it even gets its own badge, it's only active for a limited amount of time and can therefore only be seen by so many eyes. An Etsy Finds email on the other hand gets sent out to bajillions of people (we have no emperical evidence to back this exact number) who subscribe and the topic is then placed on Etsy's blog, The Storque, for more people to view.

Hypothesis
If a shop is featured in an Etsy Finds email it will be more beneficial for the shop than if featured on an Etsy front page.

Test With An Experiment
The Famous Seniors have smiled upon us. In the past few weeks senioritis has been featured on Etsy's front page and in an awesome Etsy Finds email (thanks Amy!). Let the experiment commence!

During the experiment we held other variables constant: no paid advertising, no contests, no special features or sales. There was no significant difference in the content of our shop or the number of items in it. We did mention both features on facebook and twitter.

The only variable that changed was the location of the feature.

Analyze Results
To analyze the results of our experiment we enlisted the help of our good friends the Google and Craftopolis. Here's what we observed:

Etsy Front Page Feature:
280 Visits
2 Pages/Visit
1:12 Spent on Site
71% Bounce Rate
4 Favorites

Etsy Finds Email Feature:
652 Visits
10 Pages/Visit
3:56 Spent on Site
46% Bounce Rate
66 Favorites

Conclusion
If a shop is featured in an Etsy Finds email it is indeed more beneficial to that shop than being featured on Etsy's front page.

While we are pleased with the outcome of the experiment we feel that the experiment should be re-run several times before we can publish our results ;)

Hopefully you enjoyed our experiment, had a little fun, and got something out of it. We would love to hear about your experiences being featured so don't hesitate to leave us a comment. Have a senioritis day!

Friday Finds 8.27.10

2010-08-27T21:11:00.020-04:00

Happy Friday! After a few Friday Finds workspace features we figured it was time to share a few photos of senioritis headquarters ;) Our workspace features are designed to show people that while a high-end, top of the line work studio is really nice, it's not always necessary and that all it takes is a little imagination to turn any place into a sweet workspace and create some really cool stuff.

senioritis

As you may (or may not) already know, we create uniquely designed artwork and apparel. Our colorful designs pay tribute to inspirational and motivational famous seniors throughout history.

Much of our time is spent in front of a computer with a legal pad close by; and yes, I'm a PC but Beth and Jillian are Macs. Fun fact: I only write in black pen and nobody can read my writing.

When we're having trouble coming up with colors or textures for new designs we flip through our current designs. We have most of our designs printed out in postcard size (like those above) which means that they can go everywhere we go.

We're often reading something, usually business related, so having a broad selection of bookmarks readily accessible is always a plus ;)

Here's a quick shot of our secret underground lair ;) As they say, this is where the magic happens; measuring, cutting, printing and a bunch of other fun stuff!

We hope you enjoyed a quick peek into our workspace!

With September approaching and playoff baseball right around the corner, this week we would like to share our brand spankin' new Senioritis Remembers Sports Legends postcard prints. These travel sized tributes would make a great gift for any sports fan. To see more of our designs please visit our Etsy shop.

Featured Artist :: Supah

2010-08-25T06:11:00.011-04:00

This week's featured artist is Supah!

Supah 2000 - What's up with what's going down?
Supah 2005 - Four out of Five Dentists Recommend Supah.
Supah 2009 - Now fortified with 90% more Highly Professional Business Cats
Supah 2010 - It's Not Just Super, it's SUPAH!

Senioritis: Name and location please.
Supah: Amy Beth Geerling Payne, Southwestern Mitten, Michigan, USA
Senioritis: Hey Amy Beth, thanks for sitting down with us!

Senioritis: Can you tell us a little about yourself Amy Beth?
Supah: I was born and raised in Jackson, Michigan (SOUTH CENTRAL MICHIGAN - REPRESENT!!) I left at age 18 to "Go West!" but only made it two states away to Illinois where I studied digital and traditional 2-D art at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago. Then the wind blew east to Baltimore where I received a MA in Digital Art at the Maryland Institute, College of Art. I've exhibited in group and solo shows in Baltimore, Chicago, Indiana and Michigan.

I spend my days crafting, painting, and working in my home studio with too many cats and a dog in southwestern Michigan near Lake Michigan. I'm looking forward to my first year participating in the Ann Arbor Art Fair later this summer as an emerging artist.
Senioritis: Wow, very cool! I remember driving through Michigan once when I was real little (I wasn't driving) and we stopped in a town called Frankenmuth, it was a little Bavarian town and I thought it was the coolest place.

Congrats on all the exhibitions, that's awesome! How did you enjoy your time on the East coast?

Senioritis: Marlon Brando: Streetcar Named Desire or the Godfather?
Supah: Godfather. Orange slice smile monster fun. RAHR!
Senioritis: Classic scene! Who doesn't enjoy a good orange slice monster?

Senioritis: How would you describe your style Amy Beth?
Supah: Nifty, Off Beat, Colorful, Fun.
Senioritis: We like fun!

Senioritis: Amy Beth, what would you say is the best business tip you have ever received and who gave it to you?
Supah: "Don't think. Just do." My husband said it. He was prompted to say this in a book store when I was considering buying a craft business book. I began to concern myself with far more business issues than I ever needed to be concerned with, which depleted my energy - giving me less creative energy. It has definitely helped me center on doing what has always been the most important part of my business, and something only I can do. The business minutia takes care of itself as it comes.
Senioritis: That's a great tip! It's always good to invest our time where we get the greatest return ;)

Senioritis: What would you say is your favorite sport to either watch or play?
Supah: To watch - hockey. (Self-tooth extraction on the sidelines comes to mind). To play - soccer, though it's been a while. The last team I was on was sponsored by a great Chicago band called "The Wes Hollywood Show".
Senioritis: Gotta love playoff hockey, he may have a future in dentistry when his career is over ;)

Senioritis: Chevy Chase: Fletch or Three Amigos
Supah: Three Amigos. It taught me the meaning of the word "infamous," featured neat costumes, and contained a great theme song.
Senioritis: Ahh yes, the infamous El Guapo ;)

Senioritis: Do you have a favorite quote Amy Beth?
Supah: "Everyone has a plan 'til they get punched in the mouth." —Mike Tyson
Senioritis: Iron Mike knows the deal.

Senioritis: If you could jump in the DeLorean and go back in time; what’s one thing you would do differently in your business?
Supah: Preventing myself from training my cats to work the hot glue gun. As it turned out, it was an enormous waste of time. Their fur would get stuck in with the glue EVERY DAMN TIME, total fiasco.
Senioritis: But they're highly professional business cats, surely they can handle a glue gun! Maybe if they wore rubber gloves they would have proven more helpful with the task ;)

Senioritis: If the $100 bill needed a redesign, who would you put on it?
Supah: John Waters. He would have the greatest appreciation of where his face would be, at strip clubs and having a part in many back-alley financial transactions. Money is tacky, especially $100 bills. I would also redesign them to be turquoise and glittery. American currency should more closely resemble Monopoly money.
Senioritis: We think Mr. Waters would feel right at home on a glittery turquoise c note! Perhaps a glow in the dark mustache?

Senioritis: Where can we find Supah on the web?
Supah: I've been running supah.com for 10+ years; crazy, huh?! Current paintings are stowed in the gallery and I also run supah.etsy.com. I thoroughly enjoy the comradeship found through facebook and I welcome any of your readers to become new friends on facebook or twitter. Supah can also be found at flickr.com/supah.
Senioritis: Wow, Supah is all over the web; and having your own site for over a decade is no joke, nice work!

Senioritis: James Bond: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, or Daniel Craig?
Supah: Sean Connery. Not only because of his Scotchman goodness, but also because I named my cat Pussy Galore.
Senioritis: That is phenomenal!

Senioritis: Any shoutouts Amy Beth?
Supah: The many, many people who have more faith in me than I do; you are what keeps me at it.

Thanks so much for giving us and our readers a glimpse into the world of Supah; and remember folks it's not just super, it's SUPAH!

Friday Finds 8.20.10

2010-08-20T18:22:00.021-04:00

Happy Friday everyone! We're excited to bring you another installment of our Friday Finds workspaces segments. These workspace features are designed to show people that while a high-end, top of the line work studio is really nice, it's not always necessary and that all it takes is a little imagination to turn any place into a sweet workspace and create some really cool stuff. This week we get a behind the scenes look at Jayne from J. Norvelle Design's workspace.

J. Norvelle Designs

What do you create?
I create jewelry from stones that I find walking along the edge of the ocean. Some of the stones are natural polished by the sand and sea, others I will give an extra bit of polish. I then set these stones in silver. I hand forge the silver from flat sheets. Cutting, pounding, heating, sanding, polishing, until the silver is transformed; much as the sea has transformed the stone.

The work in your shop looks awesome Jayne, we love the wave logo! The jewelry boxes made by your husband look great as well ;)

Tell us a little about your workspace please:
My workspace is a small room, about 9 x 10, one wall acts as miscellaneous storage. My husband built my workbench for me. The room is small, but everything is within reach - oddly I still manage to lose tools that are right in front of me.

We always lose things right in front of us ;)

What inspires you?
I live on the Oregon Coast, my inspiration comes from the ocean. I have lived by the ocean all my life, my family has earned their living from the sea, and we have also lost to the sea. Even through the loss, the sea continues to call me, and I can not resist.

Very cool! Thanks for sharing your workspace as well as what inspires you Jayne! To see more of J. Norvelle Design's awesome work please visit her etsy shop.

senioritis

Well, it's back to school time so this week we pay tribute to orator and educator Robert G. Ingersoll who reminds us that common sense is more important than education ;) To see more of our designs please visit our Etsy shop.

Featured? Why not grab a banner?

Featured Artist :: Katies Studio

2010-08-18T06:26:00.009-04:00

This week's featured artist is Katies Studio!

Katies Studio - Cool Art.

Senioritis: Name and location please.
Katies Studio: Katie Bunschoten, currently Burlington, Kentucky.
Senioritis: Hi Katie, thanks for taking the time to share some info with us!

Senioritis: Katie, can you tell us a little about yourself please?
Katies Studio: I've been drawing since I was a kid. We moved a lot and friends changed just as often but drawing and sketching were constant. We had horses up until I hit high school so I spent a lot of time sketching them. I graduated high school, moved to Holland and Ireland (got married), came back and finally had space for a small studio so I started painting. Going from graphite black and whites to color opened a lot of ideas and I've been working on putting them to canvas ever since.
Senioritis: That's awesome! Do you get back to Holland and Ireland often? Your works are filled with vibrant colors, do you still do work in black and white?

Senioritis: Marlon Brando: Streetcar Named Desire or the Godfather?
Katies Studio: Streetcar Named Desire

Senioritis: How would you describe your style?
Katies Studio: Bright, Bold, Colorful, Vivid.
Senioritis: We couldn't agree more, all the colors just jump out at us!

Senioritis: Katie, what would you say is the best business tip you have ever received and who gave it to you?
Katies Studio: Never quit what you love. - Mom
Senioritis: Guess what they say is true, mother does know best ;)

Senioritis: What would you say is your favorite sport to either watch or play?
Katies Studio: Soccer to play, baseball to watch. I live right outside Cincinnati so I have to say Go Reds!
Senioritis: Ahhh, a fan of the Big Red Machine :) I must admit, as a Yankees fan I have no clue what's going on in the National League until playoff time rolls around. What did you think of the World Cup?

Senioritis: Chevy Chase: Fletch or Three Amigos
Katies Studio: Three Amigos

Senioritis: Do you have a favorite quote Katie?
Katies Studio: Wisdom begins in wonder. – Socrates
Senioritis: Awesome quote, there may be a new Socrates tribute in the works ;)

Senioritis: If you could jump in the DeLorean and go back in time; what’s one thing you would do differently in your business?
Katies Studio: Better photos! Investing in a better camera was the best thing I've done. It is a completely different animal, selling online. I'd also research more on SEO and have used analytics immediately. When I first started I thought upload it and people will just buy. It's not quite that easy. In ways I think it's harder than having a brick and mortar gallery.
Senioritis: They say a picture is worth a thousand words and in an online marketplace where people can't hold or handle our work strong product photography is crucial. We agree that selling online is completely different than selling in a physical location. We were fortunate to find some great product photography and SEO tips on Etsy that have helped us get going in the right direction.

Senioritis: If the $100 bill needed a redesign, who would you put on it?
Katies Studio: This is a very difficult thing to think on, but at first thought I would say Henry David Thoreau. I think whoever it would be would be someone that personifies the American spirit, but not in an overly political fashion. I could go on and on, but I think in a nutshell that's who I would put on there!
Senioritis: We think Mr. Thoreau would be a wonderful fit for the $100 bill!

Senioritis: Where can we find you on the web Katie?
Katies Studio: katiesstudio.etsy.com and my site.

Senioritis: James Bond: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, or Daniel Craig?
Katies Studio: Sean Connery
Senioritis: Well, it seems that Mr. Connery is the preferred 007 for our featured artists. We'll see if he can extend his lead next week ;)

Senioritis: Any shoutouts Katie?
Katies Studio: I have to thank my parents and my husband Marco for the constant encouragement, and my daughter Abby for always providing inspiration.
Senioritis: We saw a picture of your studio assistant and can see how she provides plenty of inspiration. We're also glad to hear that she keeps her hands off the wet paint ;)

Katie, thanks so much for sharing some info about the wonderful artist behind Katies Studio!

A Tribute to Sports Legends

2010-08-17T14:25:00.011-04:00

Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd;
Buy me some senioritis sports legends packs,
I don't care if I never get back...

Afternoon everyone, we just wanted to share a sneak peek of our newest offering that's in the works: Senioritis Remembers Sports Legends.

Senioritis Remembers Sports Legends will be based on our late 1800s-early 1900s tobacco card inspired designs and will pay tribute to famous sports legends. The prints will measure roughly the size of a postcard and will have a great vintage look to them. Along with a distressed feel these prints will also sport rounded corners similar to trading cards of yesteryear. The postcard prints will be offered in sets of 4 and will come in packaging similar to our Famous Seniors magnets.

We're still working on tweaking the designs a bit but offerings should be available in the next couple of weeks, just in time for the holidays. Here's some of the designs and a preview of the packaging:

These postcard prints will be sure to bring a smile to any sports fan's face; trade them, collect them, but most importantly enjoy them!

To receive updates on our Senioritis Remembers Sports Legends offerings please feel free to join our monthly newsletter or check back here ;)

Senioritis In Your Inbox

2010-08-15T13:35:00.015-04:00

Extra, extra, read all about it: Senioritis is starting a newsletter! We just wanted to get the word out that senioritis will be starting a monthly newsletter.

Our newsletter will consist of senioritis related announcements, project updates, and special tributes, as well as discounts and promotions for newsletter subscribers.

If you like our style you can sign up by clicking below:

Thanks for your support and have an awesome weekend!

Girl Power

2010-08-14T18:27:00.000-04:00

Last weekend I jetted out to New Jersey to check out Lilith Fair. For those of you who don't know, Lilith Fair is a day-long music festival whose tagline is "A Celebration of Women in Music." The festival is touring the country, stopping in major cities along the way, and varying the lineup as they go. You can see female greats like Norah Jones, Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu, Colbie Caillat, and Sheryl Crow. The artists tell stories about uniquely female experiences they've had, connecting with their audiences in a more intimate way than usual. It was a total girl power day, and it was great. Check out www.lilithfair.com for information on tickets, the artists, and the great cause part of all tickets proceeds goes to.

And while I'm on the subject of women, we're looking to expand the number of women in our Famous Seniors series. Leave us a message with any thoughts you have on women throughout history who have impacted you, your art, politics, or lifestyle. And be sure to check out our etsy shop for new additions to our growing collection.

Happy Sunday!

Friday Finds 8.13.10

2010-08-13T16:52:00.017-04:00

Happy Friday the 13th! As we mentioned last Sunday, this week we bring you some Vermont inspired finds. This week's finds are either made in Vermont or inspired by the green mountain state. We hope you like what we found ;)

IMOTIME

Vermont Maple

vsc83

Native Vermont Studio

senioritis

In honor of Friday the 13th, this week we are paying tribute to 4 movie monster legends: Karloff, Chaney, Lugosi, & Carlson. Beware of black cats and anyone with knives coming out of their hand ;) Have a great weekend!

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Featured Artist :: Symbolic Interaction Studio

2010-08-11T06:11:00.001-04:00

This week's featured artist is Symbolic Interaction Studio!

Symbolic Interaction Studio - Uncommon art and jewelry for uncommon people.

Senioritis: Name and location please.
Symbolic Interaction Studio: Symbolic Interaction Studio, Winston-Salem, NC.
Senioritis: Hmm, Winston-Salem, so does that make you a Duke fan or a UNC fan ;)

Senioritis: Can you tell us a little about yourself please?
Symbolic Interaction Studio: From the earliest days I can remember growing up in New England, I have loved learning and doing creative things and have not stopped since. I would spend my summers reading, swimming, dancing (ballet), playing video games (oh, yes, I loved that Intellivision), creating skits that I would record on my cassette player, and drawing. I loved learning so much that I stayed in school forever, for real, earning several degrees along the way culminating in a doctorate in a social science field. Some of my early training was in the arts where I learned graphic design, ceramic techniques, photography, watercolor painting, and drawing. I knew that I wanted to teach at the college level, but decided that I did not want to grade art, so I continued my education in my one of my other favorite subjects, observing and studying people. I currently work as a professor in the social sciences; I love the creativity of teaching and interacting with students. But I also enjoy getting my hands covered with paint and I get easily distracted by pretty beads so I continue to enjoy the challenge of creating art and making jewelry even though my profession is demanding.
Senioritis: Very cool, still have any of those skit tapes around? I had a chance to check out a toy museum last week and they had a display on the evolution of video games it was pretty sweet.

Senioritis: Marlon Brando: Streetcar Named Desire or the Godfather?
Symbolic Interaction Studio: This one is easy, Streetcar Named Desire for sure.

Senioritis: How would you describe your style?
Symbolic Interaction Studio: Textural, Contemporary, Colorful & Deconstructed.

Senioritis: What would you say is the best business tip you have ever received and who gave it to you?
Symbolic Interaction Studio: The transition from art maker to business person can be a difficult one. One of the challenges is to stop thinking like a customer and creator and to start thinking like a business owner. I have learned a lot about running a business by avidly reading Etsy’s forums. One transformative piece of advice I learned there relates to pricing one’s work. Unfortunately, I don’t remember exactly who offered the advice, but she wrote that one should price one’s work at market value (what the market will bear taking into account your materials, overhead, time, training) and not what you would pay for it.
Senioritis: Great point, pricing is always a tricky topic. We have seen several pricing approaches and formulas; however, at the end of the day we think that the art of pricing seems to revert back to supply and demand. The Etsy forums definitely contain a wealth of information on pricing and many other business topics as well.

Senioritis: What would you say is your favorite sport to either watch or play?
Symbolic Interaction Studio: I love the Olympics and can’t get enough of the more “obscure” sports I only get to watch once every four years. Short track speed skating and moguls were a couple of my recent favorites.
Senioritis: The Olympics rock! We loved watching the winter games. All the short track events were exciting to watch; one slip and a medal favorite gets eliminated. We also enjoyed the snowboarding slalom event as well as the half pipe.

Senioritis: Chevy Chase: Fletch or Three Amigos
Symbolic Interaction Studio: Fletch, although I have to admit, I don’t think I have seen either movie in its entirety.
Senioritis: Fletch gets our vote as well. We've seen it several times, if you need us to fill you in on parts you missed just let us know ;)

Senioritis: Do you have a favorite quote?
Symbolic Interaction Studio: “But what to do with poor Hugo? Too crazy for Boys Town, too much of a boy for Crazy Town.” Dr. Julius Hibbert, The Simpsons
I think about this quote often because it addresses the betwixt and between character of my life, never fitting in with any one group easily. Many of us think that others may fit neatly into categories, but this quote is a reminder that people defy easy categorization.
Senioritis: I always thought The Simpsons was about donuts and beer, apparently there's an underlying message as well. D'oh! Great quote and a great observation.

Senioritis: If you could jump in the DeLorean and go back in time; what’s one thing you would do differently in your business?
Symbolic Interaction Studio: I would start my business at the point in time at which I arrived. I wish I started my business earlier even though my life at the time would make it difficult. If you are thinking about moving forward with your creative endeavors, don’t wait. There is never a perfect time to jump into it and don’t forget that you can start slow.
Senioritis: Agreed, the journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step and the frist step is often the most difficult one to take.

Senioritis: If the $100 bill needed a redesign, who would you put on it?
Symbolic Interaction Studio: Rosa Parks or Harriet Tubman would be my choice. As we honor many foundational figures of our country’s ideals of freedom on our currency, I think it would be nice to include pivotal individuals who helped work to ensure those ideals of freedom and pursuit of happiness for all.
Senioritis: Sounds good to us!

Senioritis: Where can we find you on the web?
Symbolic Interaction Studio: symbolicinteractionstudio.com

Senioritis: James Bond: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, or Daniel Craig?
Symbolic Interaction Studio: This is a really, really tough one. Where’s George Lazenby? My answer is Sean Connery, but only by a hair. Daniel Craig was brilliant in Casino Royale.
Senioritis: Iwas wondering if that question would come up ;) I think I'm the only person I know who saw On Her Majesty's Secret Service (Lazenby's only portrayal of 007). For those of you who have not seen it let's just say you don't need to rush to add it to your Netflix queue. It looks like Mr. Connery has extended his lead as favorite Bond.

Senioritis: Any shoutouts?
Symbolic Interaction Studio: My husband who is supportive and barely says a word about growing materials costs. My friends and family who also have backed my artistic efforts.
Etsians: 42things who offered support very early on and CreekBedThreads who also generously offered to mentor me. Members of the Etsy community who take the time to participate in the forums to share their sage advice and their experiences.

Thanks so much for giving us and our readers a sneak peek behind the scenes at Symbolic Interaction Studio!

The Week That Was (Senioritis Style)

2010-08-08T20:26:00.000-04:00

Happy Sunday everyone! As you may have noticed (or maybe not), we did not have a Friday Finds segment this past week. This was due to the fact that 2/3 of senioritis was doing some exploring in lovely Vermont and internet access was a bit on the spotty side. We will make it up to you, our wonderful readers, by bringing you an awesome Vermont inspired Friday Finds segment next week; but for now we leave you with the week that was.

We have family in the Boston area so we made a quick stop on our way to Vermont. While in Beantown we stumbled across a Party City (or something similar) and thought they might have some supplies we could use. No supplies but my sister thought it was a good photo opp to pay tribute to Famous Senior Groucho Marx. It didn't feel right without the cigar or mustache but Groucho, we salute you! (If you look closely you'll catch a glimpse of what's coming next at senioritis.)

Enough horsing around, off to Vermont. Our ultimate destination was South Royalton which Vermonters call the little green city that never sleeps (ok, I might have made that up). En route to South Royalton we found Queechee.

Queechee is most commonly known for it's Gorge, which is sometimes referred to as the mini Grand Canyon (that one I did not make up), but we found some other really cool stuff there as well.

The first of our findings in Queechee was an awesome little diner:

What a cool spot, the perfect throwback diner. It was like walking into a time warp. I went with the farmer's breakfast and it did not disappoint! 2 eggs, 2 french toast, ham, homefries, chocolate milk and the best maple syrup I've ever had. Unfortunately I didn't think of snapping a photo until I already had a clean plate ;)

Next up on the Queechee list was the Cabot cheese store. I must admit I'm not a cheese aficionado but wow, I never realized there were so many types of cheese. There was even a list of what beers & wines go with different types of cheese. Mooooo, my best Cabot cow impression:

Our final stop in Queechee was one of the coolest places I have ever seen, a toy museum. This toy museum was like a stroll down memory lane; it inspired me and made me a bit envious at the same time. The toy museum was made up of about 12-15 wood & plexiglass display cases and the ceiling was covered with different board games. I definitely want to have a display like this one day:

The last quick stop on our way to South Royalton was the Ben & Jerry's factory in Waterbury, Vermont. We went on a tour of the factory, got some samples, and checked out the gift shop. Unfortunately we didn't have the time or manpower to take on the Vermonster (20 scoops of ice cream, hot fudge, banana, cookies, brownies, and all of your favorite toppings):

We finally got to South Royalton where we cleaned a bit, put together some furniture, and had an all around good time. One of about 5 or 6 pieces that we put together:

While leaving South Royalton my sister discovered that horse drawn carriages are still a popular means of transportation:

It was a jam packed week with lots of traveling and lots of cool new discoveries but as always it's good to be home. Have a great evening and we'll see you during the week ;)

Featured Artist :: Trixie Fishstabber Productions

2010-08-04T06:12:00.000-04:00

This week's featured artist is Trixie Fishstabber Productions!

Trixie Fishstabber Productions - A whimsical underworld.

Senioritis: Name and location please.
Trixie Fishstabber Productions: Sandra Ford, and right now I am living in a log cabin in a historical, wildly overgrown orchard; and there is this big, fast creek down the steps that drains into a reservoir which feeds into the Snake River that flows north through Hell's Canyon. It is pretty inspiring and I consider everyday a gift to be here.
Senioritis: Wow, that sounds very cool Sandra; do you have any room for visitors ;)

Senioritis: Can you tell us a little about yourself Sandra?
Trixie Fishstabber Productions: Self Taught and right handed. Published illustrator at large and re-focused after a brief (17 year) hiatus from the art universe. Hmmm, that is pretty brief!
Senioritis: That is a pretty brief bio, it would even fit into a tweet! We're glad to see that you've returned to the art universe after your brief hiatus.

Senioritis: Marlon Brando: Streetcar Named Desire or the Godfather?
Trixie Fishstabber Productions: Streetcar Named Desire

Senioritis: How would you describe your style Sandra?
Trixie Fishstabber Productions: Pop Surrealism, Lowbrow, Underground, Expressionist.

Senioritis: What would you say is the best business tip you have ever received and who gave it to you?
Trixie Fishstabber Productions: 'Go for it knowing whatever happens, you gave it everything you had.' My hero, Ed told me that many years ago.
Senioritis: Great tip. We think one of the worst feelings is looking back and saying 'What if...?' Give it your best and leave nothing on the table; we like Ed's style!

Senioritis: What would you say is your favorite sport to either watch or play Sandra?
Trixie Fishstabber Productions: Fencing.
Senioritis: Very interesting, several of our featured artists are into fencing. We're going to have to look into the link between creatives and swordplay ;)

Senioritis: Chevy Chase: Fletch or Three Amigos
Trixie Fishstabber Productions: I haven't seen either.
Senioritis: Is there a different Chevy Chase film that you prefer?

Senioritis: Do you have a favorite quote Sandra?
Trixie Fishstabber Productions: 'Imagination rules the world.' Napoleon Bonaparte
Senioritis: Hmm, even the Great Emperor knew that imagination is more important than knowledge!

Senioritis: If you could jump in the DeLorean and go back in time; what’s one thing you would do differently in your business?
Trixie Fishstabber Productions: I would not have put my pencils down for 17 years. Putting in your time as an artist is what makes you better, in my opinion. I've got some catching up to do.
Senioritis: Hopefully pencil skills are like riding a bike and they'll come back to you very quickly! We're still riding with our training wheels on but the more we draw and create the more comfortable we become ;)

Senioritis: If the $100 bill needed a redesign, who would you put on it?
Trixie Fishstabber Productions: Edward Abbey for writing Hayduke Lives!
Senioritis: Looks like Mr. Abbey was sporting a pretty solid beard; we think a portrait of him would look wonderful on a $100 bill.

Senioritis: Where can we find you on the web Sandra?
Trixie Fishstabber Productions: I've got my Etsy store here: trixiefishstabber.etsy.com
I work really hard to make my blog interesting here: trixiefishstabber.blogspot.com
One of my favorite inspirational blogs:animalarium
And a website that interests the weirdo in me: crappytaxidermy.com

Senioritis: James Bond: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, or Daniel Craig?
Trixie Fishstabber Productions: Daniel Craig
Senioritis: Another tally for Mr. Craig!

Senioritis: Any shoutouts?
Trixie Fishstabber Productions: A big thanks to everyone in forums who help people like me figure things out. My son for being so courageous. And Ed, for being from West Virginia.

Sandra, thanks so much for taking the time to share a bit about the artist and inspiration behind Trixie Fishstabber Productions!

Senioritis On Branding

2010-08-02T06:23:00.010-04:00

When you hear the word brand what's the first thing that pops into your head?

Maybe it's a cold can of Coca-Cola or a prancing stallion. No matter what popped into your head, odds are it involved some type of name, symbol, color or other feature that unmistakably identifies a company's product or service.

The wise folks over at the American Marketing Association (AMA) define a brand as:

A name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.

A quick trip in Doc Brown's DeLorean reminds us that the practice of branding has its roots in marking livestock to identify ownership. Today branding is still used to create an identity.

For example, if you see your friend walking down the street with a 32oz. cup in their hand and it has a huge golden arch on it, you immediately know that he or she was at McDonald's. McDonald's has successfully used a name, design, color, and symbol to identify its goods as distinct from those of other sellers in the marketplace. If it works for the big guys why shouldn't it work for us?

We are not branding experts, we don't even play branding experts on tv, but please read on for some intro to branding tips from senioritis based on our personal experiences, observations, mistakes, and stuff we've read in books.

Developing A Brand
So how do we start developing a brand? Well, let's go back to AMA's definition; it looks like our ultimate goal is to come up with a name, term, design, symbol, or other feature that identifies us and distinguishes us from others.

Name

♦When choosing a name for our brand we want to come up with something that is unique but easy to remember. Senioritis is a pretty common term that at the same time posesses some uniqueness and is pretty easy to remember.

♦When choosing a name for our brand we should try to avoid obscure spellings as well. If our name was Jsenioritis with a silent J it would probably be a bit more difficult to remember ;) (Tip: If you plan on incorporating your personal name into your brand name be sure to check if the way you spell your name is the most common spelling, if not maybe using your initials would be a better option.)

♦If our brand name describes what we do that's cool but not necessary as our ultimate goal is to develop a brand name that is synonomous with what we do, think Kleenex or Xerox.

Not sure where to start? Feel free to check out this cool brand name generator we stumbled across; simply provide some keywords, set your perameters, and poof, instant brand name brainstorming.

Term

We are by no means branding experts but when we hear the word term we think of taglines and slogans.

♦Taglines are short descriptions that usually appear with your brand name. Our tagline is: Senioritis: Uniquely designed art and apparel for seniors of all ages. (Tip: Keep taglines short and sweet and give a little info about the goods or services you offer. Unless your core business changes your tagline usually doesn't.)

♦Slogans are typically involved with creating brand awareness and can change across different lines of goods or services. A slogan we use for our Senioritis Remembers Famous Seniors art tributes is: Colorful inspiration. A slogan we use for our apparel geared towards high school and college seniors is: It makes you lazy. (Tip: Slogans can change across different lines.)

Design and Symbol

♦The design and symbol are the graphic components of your brand. (Tip: When creating your design and symbol artwork keeping the artwork in vector format is a plus as vector artwork is easily scaled.)

♦When choosing a design and symbol make sure that there's a match between the design and the brand. If senioritis specialized in high end jewelry a drawing of Albert Einstein with his tongue out might not be a good fit ;) Which jewelry shop would you visit first?

♦What type of feeling does your brand design create when others see it? Is this the type of feeling you want associated with your brand? If the answer is no you may want to rethink your brand design. Here at senioritis we like to have fun and try not to take anything too seriously; we think that our Einstein drawing is fun and lighthearted and that fits well with our brand.

♦When choosing a design and symbol keep color in mind. There are many successful brand symbols and designs that incorporate bright colors, think Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Pepsi; however, single color designs can work very well too, think Apple and Nike. Our design is a one color design but the color changes from time to time.

For more about branding check out Blackcoffee's very cool branding blog, Thoughts & Notions.

If you have some fun and creative branding we would love to check it out; please feel free to leave a comment with some links to your branding! Here are a few ways in which we use branding with our products and packaging:

Recap

The AMA teaches us that a brand is a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers. Branding, in it's most basic form, is about creating an identity.

When people hear your brand's name or see its design what do they think of and how do they feel? Through the use of a strong brand name, term, and design we can identify our goods and services as our work. Remember, what works for the big guys will work for us as well. We hope this information helps a bit, happy branding ;)

Friday Finds 7.30.10

2010-07-30T06:49:00.014-04:00

Good morning! We're excited to bring you another installment of our Friday Finds workspaces segments. These workspace features are designed to show people that while a high-end, top of the line work studio is really nice, it's not always necessary and that all it takes is a little imagination to turn any place into a sweet workspace and create some really cool stuff. This week we get a behind the scenes look at Jennifer from Wearable by Design's workspace.

Wearable by Design

What do you create?
I work in silver metal clay. It's a very cool product. It consists of microscopic particles of silver or gold suspended in an organic binder to create a pliable material with a consistency similar to modeling clay. It can be worked with the fingers and with simple tools to create just about anything you can think up!

When Metal Clay is heated to high temperatures, the binder burns away and the metal particles fuse to form solid precious metal, 99.9% pure. The metal can then be sanded, soldered, colored, and polished like conventional materials.

I had taken a traditional silver fabrication class when in college and fell in love with silver. Later, I wanted to start a small jewelry studio in my apartment and was frustrated by the lack of originality in commercially available findings. Because of my previous experience, I wanted to work in silver and was looking for a way to make leaves and other unique silver items. I stumbled upon a book about metal clay. What a great invention! It allowed me to work in a small space with a much smaller investment in equipment. It allowed me to finally create all the things I had envisioned very easily.

Very cool Jennifer! I've never worked with metal but I love watching the shows on Discovery channel about building bikes and cars; it always amazes me what people can do with metal.

Tell us a little about your workspace please:
My studio consists of a six foot folding table upon which I've placed a closet shelving unit to hold my organized containers. I've organized it in such a way that those items that I use the most, are closest to me. Just to my left is a set of three drawers that hold my metals, my clay shaping and cutting tools and my filing and drilling tools. Next to that is a spinning container that holds brushes, pencils, scissors, etc. And lastly, there's a cup warmer that I place wet clay items to be dried.

Just below the first shelf are all my pliers, hanging so that I can easily grab them if need be. On the first shelf up is a television which keeps me company in the studio (the artists life can be a solitary one!). To the left of the television are four drawers that hold measuring devices and my saws and hammers. To the right of the television are two drawers that hold various sundry items that are seldom used (for more specialty work that I do from time to time).

Anything inspiring that you like to watch while you create?

The second shelf up holds organizers that contain molds, bolts and screws and items that I've collected that I find interesting -- kind of a curiosity cabinet. To the right of this is the organizer that holds findings, chains, clasps and jump rings. Above and to the right is the arm that holds my flexshaft -- the true workhorse of my studio. The top shelf holds boxes and resin supplies.

Below the desk I also have a set of bins that hold stamps, enameling supplies, scrap metals, metal finishes, etc. And to the right of the folding desk is a metal file cabinet upon which sits my kiln that I fire my metal clay pieces.

It's a cozy and very convenient set up for me. I love my studio!!

Wow, a place for everything and everything in its place ;) Thanks for sharing your workspace with us Jennifer! To see more of Wearable by Design's great metal work please check out her etsy shop.

senioritis

All good things come to an end. In the wise words of one of our great Famous Seniors:

And now, the end is here
And so I face the final curtain
My friend, I'll say it clear
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain
I've lived a life that's full
I've traveled each and every highway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way

Tomorrow (7/31) at midnight marks the end of our Christmas in July Sale. To see more of Frankie and his travel sized friends before the coach turns into a pumpkin please check out the Christmas in July Sale section of our shop.

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Famous Seniors A-Z

2010-07-29T07:34:00.072-04:00

Here's an easy to browse alphabetical listing of all of our tributes. Items that appear as sold may currently be out of stock but please check back as we will update this list often ;) If you're looking for a specific design, don't hesitate to contact us and we'll see if we can help you out. Thanks for checking out our work!

A

John Adams
Sam Adams
Aesop
Hans Christian Andersen
Archimedes
Aristotle
Louis Armstrong
Isaac Asimov
Jane Austen

B

Sir Francis Bacon
Red Barber
P.T. Barnum
J.M. Barrie
Clara Barton
Charles Baudelaire
L. Frank Baum
Ludwig van Beethoven
Alexander Graham Bell
George Berkeley
Irving Berlin
Niels Bohr
Buddha

C

Julius Caesar
Albert Camus
Alphonse Capone
Truman Capote
Richard Carlson
Andrew Carnegie
Lewis Carroll
Miguel de Cervantes
Charlie Chaplin
Walter Chrysler
Winston Churchill
Roberto Clemente
Confucius
Nicolaus Copernicus
Davy Crockett
Marie Curie

D

Roald Dahl
Charles Darwin
Leonardo da Vinci
Miles Davis
Rene Descartes
Charles Dickens
Joe DiMaggio
Benjamin Disraeli
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Alexandre Dumas

E

Amelia Earhart
George Eastman
Thomas Alva Edison
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Leif Ericson

F

Michael Faraday
Guy Fawkes
W.C. Fields
Ian Fleming
Henry Ford
Anatole France
Benjamin Franklin
Sigmund Freud
Milton Friedman
Robert Frost
Buckminster Fuller

G

Galileo Galilei
Mahatma Gandhi
Judy Garland
Lou Gehrig
George Gershwin
Jackie Gleason
Robert H. Goddard
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Ulysses S. Grant
Brothers Grimm
Che Guevara
Johannes Gutenberg

H

Alexander Hamilton
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Rutherford B. Hayes
Jimi Hendrix
Joseph Henry
Patrick Henry
Audrey Hepburn
Sir Edmund Hillary
Hippocrates
Alfred Hitchcock
Billie Holiday
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Langston Hughes

I

Robert G. Ingersoll
Washington Irving

J

Andrew Jackson
Thomas Jefferson
Joan of Arc
Lyndon B. Johnson
Walter Johnson

K

Chiang Kai-shek
Boris Karloff
Wee Willie Keeler
Helen Keller
Francis Scott Key
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Rudyard Kipling

L

Fiorello LaGuardia
Abraham Lincoln
Charles Lindbergh
Carl Linnaeus
Jack London
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Bela Lugosi

M

James Madison
Nelson Mandela
Horace Mann
Mickey Mantle
Guglielmo Marconi
Groucho Marx
Christy Mathewson
William McKinley
Cyrus McCormick
Golda Meir
Herman Melville
Michelangelo
Piet Mondrian
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

N

James Naismith
Jawaharlal Nehru
Sir Isaac Newton
Florence Nightingale
Richard Nixon
Alfred Nobel

O

Annie Oakley
William Osler

P

Rosa Parks
Louis Pasteur
George S. Patton
Eva Perón
Edgar Allan Poe
Beatrix Potter
Elvis Presley

Q

R

Sir Walter Raleigh
Ronald Reagan
Maximilien Robespierre
Jackie Robinson
Auguste Rodin
Theodore Roosevelt
Babe Ruth
Sir Ernest Rutherford

S

Antoine de Saint Exupery
Albert Schweitzer
E.C. Segar
Dr. Seuss
Sir Ernest Shackleton
William Shakespeare
George Bernard Shaw
Nina Simone
Frank Sinatra
Sitting Bull
Logan Pearsall Smith
John Stark
Robert Louis Stevenson

T

William Taft
Mother Teresa
Nikola Tesla
Henry David Thoreau
Jim Thorpe
James Thurber
Louis Comfort Tiffany
Tokugawa Ieyasu
Harriet Tubman
Mark Twain
Sun Tzu

U

V

Martin Van Buren
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Vincent van Gogh
Jules Verne
Pancho Villa
Voltaire

W

William Wallace
Fats Waller
George Washington
Noah Webster
H.G. Wells
Walt Whitman
Oscar Wilde
Thornton Wilder
Tennessee Williams
Woodrow Wilson
Frank Lloyd Wright
Wilbur Wright

X

Malcolm X

Y

Z

Babe Didrikson Zaharias

Featured Artist :: Silvine Photography

2010-07-28T06:02:00.116-04:00

This week's featured artist is Silvine Photography!

Silvine Photography - Candid travel photography.

Senioritis: Name and location please.
Silvine Photography: Michelle, Grand Rapids, MI.
Senioritis: Hey Michelle, thanks for sitting down with senioritis!

Senioritis: Can you tell us a little about yourself Michelle?
Silvine Photography: I'm a travel and language junkie who wanted to share different cultures with people back home in the States. I found the easiest way to do so was to take candid shots in places that I traveled to that really captured aspects of the culture. I try to feed my travel habit by selling the photographs I take.
Senioritis: Very cool Michelle. Out of all the places you have visited if you could only go back to one of them which would it be?

Senioritis: Marlon Brando: Streetcar Named Desire or the Godfather?
Silvine Photography: The Godfather

Senioritis: How would you describe your style Michelle?
Silvine Photography: Vivid, Edgy, Exotic, Surprising.

Senioritis: What would you say is the best business tip you have ever received and who gave it to you?
Silvine Photography: My boyfriend told me that you can't be shy in business. You have to work hard to promote yourself and your work.
Senioritis: Very true, we've yet to have someone knock on our door to ask us about our work ;)

Senioritis: What would you say is your favorite sport to either watch or play Michelle?
Silvine Photography: Fencing. I'm an epeeist.
Senioritis: Wow, how did you get involved with fencing? Have you had a chance to visit any cool fencing clubs in other countries?

Senioritis: Chevy Chase: Fletch or Three Amigos
Silvine Photography: Three Amigos
Senioritis: My little buttercup, has the sweetest _________.

Senioritis: Michelle, do you have a favorite quote?
Silvine Photography: Can I have two?
Senioritis: Ok ;)
Silvine Photography: "Moderation in all things, including moderation." An old Chinese proverb. Secondly, "There is a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line" by Oscar Levant.
Senioritis: I like both of those, great quotes!

Senioritis: If you could jump in the DeLorean and go back in time; what’s one thing you would do differently in your business?
Silvine Photography: Definitely market research. I just jumped in and did what made me happy without really considering where or how I was going to get customers.
Senioritis: Good tip Michelle. I think sometimes we get so caught up in creating that we forget to think about where our customers will come from and how we can reach them.

Senioritis: If the $100 bill needed a redesign, who would you put on it?
Silvine Photography: Maybe Stephen Colbert? I love his show and he's the only person I know who can motivate the younger generation to do anything.
Senioritis: Interesting choice Michelle, maybe we can put Mr. Stewart on the bill's reverse ;) I think his motivational powers are rooted in the silent T.

Senioritis: Where can we find you on the web Michelle?
Silvine Photography: My travel blog and my Etsy store, so I can afford to travel.

Senioritis: James Bond: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, or Daniel Craig?
Silvine Photography: Roger Moore
Senioritis: Mr. Connery is still in the lead but it's not going to be a runaway!

Senioritis: Any shoutouts?
Silvine Photography: I love my entire EtsyWMI team. They are amazing people and really supportive.

Thanks for sitting down with us Michelle and letting our readers know a bit more about the photographer snapping the pictures at Silvine Photography!

New Location Same Great Taste!

2010-07-25T07:21:00.002-04:00

Senioritis is moving!

We just wanted to let everyone know that as of today the senioritis blog can now be found at senioritis.co. If you type in our old address it will still redirect so no need to worry about updating bookmarks but don't be worried if you see a different url at the top of the page.

Even though our blog will have a new home we will strive to bring our readers the same great taste as always.

Happy Sunday ;)

Friday Finds 7.23.10

2010-07-23T17:41:00.020-04:00

Happy Friday! For those of you who are not aware, hundreds of Etsians are currently participating in a Christmas in July event! We figured it's never too early to get into the holiday spirit so welcome to this week's Christmas in July inspired segment of Friday Finds. All of this week's finds are either on sale or they remind us of the holidays. We hope you like what we found ;)

bugabookids

The Fortunate Home

What About Photos

Juniper House

senioritis

Many people read on planes, Amelia Earhart flew planes. Would Amelia Earhart on a bookmark be a conincidence? We think not ;) This week we pay tribute to the first woman to fly across the Atlantic with a convenient travel sized tribute. To see more of Amelia and her travel sized friends please check out the Christmas in July Sale section of our shop.

Featured? Why not grab a banner?

Featured Artist :: Nicole Kristiana Studio

2010-07-21T06:31:00.004-04:00

This week's featured artist is Nicole Kristiana Studio!

Nicole Kristiana Studio - Contemporary art and art wear.

Senioritis: Name and location please.
Nicole Kristiana Studio: Nicole Kristiana FitzGibbon, Bellefonte, DE.
Senioritis: Hi Nicole, thanks for sitting down with us!

Senioritis: Can you tell us a little about yourself?
Nicole Kristiana Studio: I received my BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and my BA from Bryn Mawr College with a concentration in Fine Art and Art History. I was born in New York and lived most of my life in the Philadelphia area. I practice the art of wonderment in my surroundings both at home and around the world. I have visited fifteen states and nine countries and have visually recorded the experience in each location, focusing on pattern, which you can see in my works. Recently, my work was published as the cover of Philadelphia Stories Magazine.
Senioritis: Wow, you have visited quite a few places. Which place has been your favorite thus far?

Senioritis: Marlon Brando: Streetcar Named Desire or the Godfather?
Nicole Kristiana Studio: The Godfather

Senioritis: How would you describe your style Nicole?
Nicole Kristiana Studio: Contemporary, Ebullient, Sophisticated, Colorful.

Senioritis: What would you say is the best business tip you have ever received and who gave it to you?
Nicole Kristiana Studio: Paraphrasing, but it was something like "In business, there are many decisions to make in a day, and, if you're reeeaaally good, about 80% will be right, so expect to make 20% wrong ones, forget them, keep making decisions and move on." I learned this valuable lesson from a dear friend, Adam, the CEO of a software company.
Senioritis: Great lesson indeed, thanks for sharing it with us!

Senioritis: What would you say is your favorite sport to either watch or play Nicole?
Nicole Kristiana Studio: I love skiing. I've been skiing since I was about 10 years old. I love to watch skiing as well.
Senioritis: Very cool, I'm not much of a skiier but I can faceplant on a snowboard like no other (remember kids always wear a helmet) ;) We think a lot of ski fans were pretty excited when Lindsey Vonn won a couple ESPY Awards last week!

Senioritis: Chevy Chase: Fletch or Three Amigos
Nicole Kristiana Studio: Fletch

Senioritis: Do you have a favorite quote Nicole?
Nicole Kristiana Studio: Strangely enough, there was a quote on the wall at my day-job, across from my grey cube, far from all the windows, that inspired me.
“Creativity in living is not without its attendant difficulties, for peculiarity breeds contempt and the unfortunate thing about being ahead of your time is that when people finally realize you were right, they’ll say it was obvious all along.” — Alan Ashley-Pitt
(Note- I have researched Alan Ashley-Pitt and it seems to be a pen name. Not even the internet or head librarian at the local University seem to know the real author. It's becoming a mission of mine to know.)
Senioritis: Great quote, it seems that this mystery person has quite a few excellent quotes. If we figure out who Alan Ashley-Pitt is we'll be sure to let you know ;)

Senioritis: If you could jump in the DeLorean and go back in time; what’s one thing you would do differently in your business?
Nicole Kristiana Studio: To be honest, I would have started earlier and would have been much better at networking and keeping contacts.
Senioritis: Good point on keeping contacts Nicole. It's usually not who we know, it's who we know knows!

Senioritis: If the $100 bill needed a redesign, who would you put on it?
Nicole Kristiana Studio: Well, I feel like it should be an American, certainly, so, I thought about art influencers, political leaders, business people and musicians who have contributed to the greatness of the nation, and I finally landed on Martin Luther King, Jr. In many ways, he represents the idea that fulfilling dreams is possible and it seemed fitting.
Senioritis: We think Dr. King would display very nicely on the$100, we can also picture a really cool Dream inspired reverse side design!

Senioritis: Where can we find you on the web Nicole?
Nicole Kristiana Studio: nicolefitzgibbon.etsy.com, my blog, my facebook fan page, my website, and twitter.

Senioritis: James Bond: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, or Daniel Craig?
Nicole Kristiana Studio: Pierce Brosnan
Senioritis: Put a tally in Mr. Brosnan's column! Mr. Connery is still in the lead but we're glad to see a new 007 get his name on the board!

Senioritis: Any shoutouts?
Nicole Kristiana Studio: To my fiancé, Ross and my brother Ben for their loving support!

Nicole, thanks for taking the time to let our readers know a bit more about the artist behind Nicole Kristiana Studios!

When do people visit my site? :: A Google Analytics Tutorial

2010-07-20T14:07:00.002-04:00

Knowing how many people are visiting your site is great but knowing WHEN people are visiting your site is just as important. Knowing when people typically visit your site allows you to add new content when visits are at their highest levels so that the new content has a greater chance of being viewed.

Today we're going to tackle an age old question that dates back to the middle of the Paleozoic era (OK, maybe I exaggerated a bit). Today's question is: When are people visiting my site?

GA will help us answer this question. No, not the Peach State. Not Great Adventure either. The other GA: Google Analytics. This tutorial is based on the assumptions that you currently have a website, have Google Analytics installed, and have a very basic understanding of Google Analytics.

If you have never heard of Google Analytics (GA) before, GA is a powerful tool that allows people to analyze traffic to their website (and it's FREE). It provides users with a wealth of information and can help you answer questions such as:

How many people are visiting my site?
How do people get to my site?
How much time do people spend on my site?
What content do people look at while on my site?
When do people visit my site?

Today we are going to take a look at the last question: When do people visit my site?

Account Overview

For the purposes of today's tutorial we will be taking a look at the analytics info for our Famous Senior of the Day Tumblr Blog; other site profiles will be blurred to protect the innocent ;)

When we log in to GA we arrive at our account overview page (just click on thumbnails for larger images):

While we're here on the overview page let's take a quick look at what's going on. The overview page gives us a quick breakdown where we can see:

Number of visits our site has received
Average amount of time viewers spend on our site
Bounce rate (lower the better)
Completed goals
% change in visits (Tip: this can be changed via the drop down menu).

Looking at the top right hand corner of the screen we can see that these numbers are for a 1 month period (Tip: the period can be changed by toggling the buttons below the range).

Let's click view report to get some more information.

Dashboard

When we click on view report we are brought to the Dashboard screen:

The Dashboard gives us the same info we saw on the Overview page along with a graph (Tip: the graphed variable can be changed via the drop down menu). We can also see some new information towards the bottom of the screen including:

Visitors overview
Map overlay
Traffic sources overview
Content overview

These sections will allow us to answer questions such as:

What areas of the world are people viewing my site from?
What other sites are referring people to my site?
What are people looking at on my site?
When do people visit my site?

We want to find out when people are visiting our site so let's click on visits.

Visits

When we click on visits we are brought to the All Visitors Visits screen:

The default view for the Visits page is Visits / Day. This is great information for sites that feature certain content on specific days of the week such as a blog that may have a featured artist every Monday. You can easily scroll down your Visits page and see if you receive more traffic on certain days of the week (Hint: You can even compare your traffic from this Monday to last Monday using the Compare to Past feature in the date range drop down menu).

We now have an idea of what days our visitors like to come to our site but how about what time of day they like to visit? Let's click on the Hour button (clock icon right below the date range at the top right of the screen) to get that info.

We can now see what time of day people are visiting our site. It looks like our Famous Senior of the Day blog gets roughly 1/3 of its views during the hours of 3am-6am est. The graph shows us that our content has the best chance of being seen during our early morning hours which makes sense since roughly half of Tumblr users, and most of our blog followers, are located outside the United States.

Recap

To sum things up we can quickly ascertain when people are visiting our site by logging in to our GA account. Once logged in click view report > dashboard > visits > graph by hour

We now know when people are visiting our site and as some wise men once said, knowing is half the battle ;)

We hope this helped out a bit. If you have any GA related questions or any GA topics you would like to see covered in a tutorial please leave us a comment below and we'll see if we can help out ;)

Friday Finds 7.16.10

2010-07-16T17:40:00.013-04:00

This week we're mixing things up a bit! We're excited to bring you our first in a line of Friday Finds workspaces segments. These workspace features are designed to show people that while a high-end, top of the line work studio is really nice, it's not always necessary and that all it takes is a little imagination to turn any place into a sweet workspace and create some really cool stuff. This week we get a sneak peak at fibrous' workspace.

fibrous

What do you create?
I create felted creatures, flowers, and other goodies. Most of what I do is needle felted, so I don't need very many materials - needles and wool, sometimes glue, thread, and pins.

Tell us a little about your workspace please:
I live in a small apartment, so I don't have a dedicated craft space.
Instead, my workspace consists mainly of my couch (which has a handy no-sew reupholstery). I keep my needles and pads on the arm of the couch, and I have a little box on a coffee table which holds the scissors, ruler, and other crafty things I might need while crafting. Under the table is a plastic tub where I keep the wool.

Nice socks!

What inspires you?
I am inspired by cute and whimsical things. Some of them are odd, like Larry the mole, and some are just cute, like my hedgehogs.

Looks like nap time after a long day of crafting ;)

Very cool, thanks for sharing your workspace with us Thea! To see more of fibrous' awesome work please check out her etsy shop.

senioritis

This week we're paying tribute to The Chairman of the Board, Francis Albert Sinatra with a convenient travel sized tribute. To see more of Frankie and his travel sized friends please check out the Christmas in July Sale section of our shop.

Featured? Why not grab a banner?

Christmas in July!

2010-07-15T00:00:00.003-04:00

Break out the Eggnog and hang the stockings, Christmas has come early this year. We are very excited to announce our first ever Christmas in July sale!

Don't worry, you won't need any shovels or down jackets for this Christmas special, all you will need is some holiday spirit ;)

For our first ever Christmas in July sale all of our colorful and inspirational bookmarks will be on sale for 33% off*!

The sale will start now (yes, right now!) and will run thru 11:59:59 PM EST on 7/31/10.

Whether you're looking for writers, inventors, scientists, or entertainers we've got you covered. What better way to make someone smile during the holidays than to share some unique colorful inspiration that won't break the bank. We gladly ship our bookmarks worldwide so break out the mistletoe and let's get in to the holiday spirit!

Please swing by the CIJ section of our Etsy shop to see what's on sale. Any questions about the sale don't hesitate to contact us, info@senioritis.net. Happy holidays!

*Our shop prices reflect the sale pricing, there is no further discount.

Featured Artist :: Stormone Originals

2010-07-14T07:12:00.002-04:00

This week's featured artist is Stormone Originals!

Stormone Originals - Everything in your life should be Original, Unique like the Perfect Storm.

Senioritis: Name and location please.
Stormone Originals: AJ in Oakland, CA
Senioritis: What's up AJ! Are you an Athletics fan or do you prefer one of the other teams out in Cali?

Senioritis: Can you tell us a little about yourself AJ?
Stormone Originals: I'm a traditionally trained painter and printmaker who decided to try my hand at tie-dye, batik, and textile stamping.
Senioritis: Sweet AJ, all of your work looks great! Is there one medium you prefer working in over the others?

Senioritis: Marlon Brando: Streetcar Named Desire or the Godfather?
Stormone Originals: The Godfather!

Senioritis: How would you describe your style AJ?
Stormone Originals: Fun, colorful, easy, and inclusive.

Senioritis: What would you say is the best business tip you have ever received and who gave it to you?
Stormone Originals: Market, market, advertise and market some more!!! Gary Penders the former Director at my day job!
Senioritis: Good tip! As Cyrus McCormick reminds us, it doesn't matter how good our product or service is if nobody knows about it.

Senioritis: What would you say is your favorite sport to either watch or play AJ?
Stormone Originals: Track & field with American football getting a close second.
Senioritis: Both are great sports; I love watching the track & field events during the Olympics!

Senioritis: Chevy Chase: Fletch or Three Amigos
Stormone Originals: Fletch for sure!
Senioritis: Fletch is definitely on my favorites list, Fletch Lives is phenomenal as well!

Senioritis: Do you have a favorite quote AJ?
Stormone Originals: "Everything is all fun and games till somebody puts an eye out!" Mom
Senioritis: Hmm, I think our mom has told us that one several times as well ;)

Senioritis: If you could jump in the DeLorean and go back in time; what’s one thing you would do differently in your business?
Stormone Originals: I would build up a larger cache of inventory before opening an online shop.
Senioritis: Good point AJ! Having lots of options for people shopping in an online environment is definitely important. If our online shops only have a handful of items for shoppers to look at it's easy for them to take a quick glance and move on.

Senioritis: If the $100 bill needed a redesign, who would you put on it?
Stormone Originals: Lewis Latimer because he was instrumental in Thomas Edison creating the light bulb and was the draftsman for Alexander Graham Bell's inventions as well. He is not very well known and has not been given the credit he deserves as an inventor.
Senioritis: Unfortunately we don't have much pull with the folks who design US currency but a Famous Seniors tribute may be in order for Mr. Latimer ;)

Senioritis: Where can we find you on the web AJ?
Stormone Originals: stormone.etsy.com, my blog, my facebook fan page and my team blog, Etsy Artists of Color.

Senioritis: James Bond: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, or Daniel Craig?
Stormone Originals: Is there any contest? Sean Connery baby! Me loves some Sean Connery!!
Senioritis: And Mr. Connery is now leading 3-1! Do any of the other Bonds have a chance? Luckily we've learned to never count out a 007. Tune in next week, same senioritis time same senioritis place, to see if anyone can make up some ground or if Mr. Connery will pull further ahead ;)

Senioritis: Any shoutouts?
Stormone Originals: Shoutout to all the Etsy forums folks who post in ETC.!!!
All the Etsy Team Members in EAOC! Etsy Artists of Color!
Of course a shoutout to the Minnesota Vikings!!!!!! Bleed Purple!

Thanks a bunch AJ! We appreciate you taking the time to let our readers know a bit more about the great artist behind Stormone Originals; keep up the cool work!

Friday Finds 7.9.10

2010-07-09T21:04:00.013-04:00

Well, the World Cup finals are upon us ;) In honor of the game's participants this week we bring you, our readers, some sweet finds from Spain and the Netherlands. We hope you enjoy our World Cup finals inspired segment of Friday Finds, have an awesome weekend!

knittingdreams

silviareitsma

Phizzychick

Plaksels

senioritis

This week we're paying tribute to Abraham Lincoln, who reminds us that it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt. With that said, we aren't making any prediction for the finals match but expect to see a well played game from both sides and would like to send our congrats to both countries for making it this far. To see more of our tributes please visit our Etsy shop.

Featured? Why not grab a banner?

Featured Artist :: Studio M.M.E.

2010-07-07T08:43:00.000-04:00

This week's featured artist is Studio M.M.E.!

Studio M.M.E. - Fairy tale pen and ink prints.

Senioritis: Name and location please.
Studio M.M.E.: Megan Eckman, Fargo, North Dakota (soon to be San Jose, California come July!)
Senioritis: Hey Megan, not sure if you made it out to the west coast yet but we hope the preparation/trip is going smoothly!

Senioritis: Can you tell us a little about yourself Megan?
Studio M.M.E.: I'm an illustrator and freelance writer living in the lovely state of North Dakota. Born in Rapid City, South Dakota, I subsequently moved to flatter and flatter places, ultimately ending in Moorhead, Minnesota, where I received my BA degrees in art and creative writing from Minnesota State University Moorhead in 2009. Like most children, I wanted to be a veterinarian (more of a vet surgeon actually) but I still wanted to learn as much about drawing as I could. So I entered college with the desire to become a writer and an artist. My parents didn't mind as long as I started a business before I graduated. In January 2009, I did just that with Studio M.M.E. and began writing for freelance magazines across the country and selling prints of my pen and ink illustrations worldwide.
Senioritis: Very cool Megan! How was it balancing going to school and running your business? I'm not sure how the terrain is in San Jose but a few trips to San Francisco should make up for years of living in the flat lands ;)

Senioritis: Marlon Brando: Streetcar Named Desire or the Godfather?
Studio M.M.E.: Godfather

Senioritis: Megan, how would you describe your style to someone who has never seen your work?
Studio M.M.E.: Whimsical, humorous, inquisitive, and reminiscent.

Senioritis: What would you say is the best business tip you have ever received and who gave it to you?
Studio M.M.E.: Focus your shop. A fellow Etsy seller, Meluseena, gave me that tip a few months back. I immediately trashed everything in my shop that wasn't my artwork and focused more on my pen and ink work. Since then, my shop has taken off!
Senioritis: That's some great advice from Meluseena. We think that having a main line or general theme to your shop allows for an easier, more cohesive, and more enjoyable browsing experience. We're glad to hear you have seen such great results after making this adjustment!

Senioritis: What would you say is your favorite sport to either watch or play Megan?
Studio M.M.E.: Rapier. There's nothing more exhilarating than defending yourself with a sword.
Senioritis: Hmm, think the closest I've been to a rapier was watching The Three Musketeers in HD. How did you get into fencing (hope that's the proper term and I don't end up at the pointy end of a rapier)?

Senioritis: Chevy Chase: Fletch or Three Amigos
Studio M.M.E.: Three Amigos.
Senioritis: Do you remember how to summon the Invisible Swordsman ;)

Senioritis: Do you have a favorite quote Megan?
Studio M.M.E.: If the fool would persist in his folly, he would become wise.
-William Blake
Senioritis: I like that one. I think in today's society of instant gratification many of us give up on things before we truly have a chance to learn and improve.

Senioritis: If you could jump in the DeLorean and go back in time; what’s one thing you would do differently in your business?
Studio M.M.E.: I would have avoided Twitter. I know everyone is in love with it but I'd rather spend my time blogging. If I didn't have mine set up to RSS feed from my Facebook, you'd never see me on there.
Senioritis: Interesting. We used to post our Famous Senior of the day on Twitter everyday but for the past few months have switched over to a Tumblr blog. We don't get as much traffic as when we posted on twitter but we seem to get more interaction and feedback on our designs through the blog.

Senioritis: If the $100 bill needed a redesign, who would you put on it?
Studio M.M.E.: Martin Van Buren. You have to love his facial hair.
Senioritis: Very true, you typically don't see facial hair like that anymore; HOWEVER, we stumbled across a great exhibit in Chelsea a few weeks back that proves that phenomenal facial hair is still alive and well! Check out photographer Dave Mead's Magnificent Specimens to see some people that give Mr. Van Buren a run for his money ;)

Senioritis: Megan, where can we find you on the web?
Studio M.M.E.: studiomme.etsy.com, my blog, my facebook fan page and my site, The Illustrative Studio of Megan Marie Eckman.

Senioritis: James Bond: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, or Daniel Craig?
Studio M.M.E.: Is there any contest? Sean Connery.
Senioritis: Well, looks like Mr. Connery has taken an early 2-1 lead with our featured artists.

Thanks for spending a few minutes with us Megan and letting our readers know a bit more about the awesome illustrator behind Studio M.M.E.. We're looking forward to seeing your new works and hope you enjoy the west coast!

Yankee Doodle Went To Town, Riding On A Pinstriped Pony

2010-07-05T17:37:00.006-04:00

What better way to celebrate the 4th than by spending it at Yankee Stadium?

Not only was yesterday a celebratory day for our nation but it was also a celebratory date in Yankee history. July 4th is Yankees owner George Steinbrenner's birthday as well as the date that Lou Gehrig gave his famous "Luckiest Man on Earth" speech.

Upon entering the Stadium you are immediately greeted by large banners paying tribute to Yankees legends. Although I had been to the new stadium a couple of times last season I hadn't had a chance to check out the Yankees Museum until yesterday. Very cool stuff, I mean how often do you get to see a Babe Ruth signed baseball?

Yesterday's starter Phil Hughes will soon be attending his first Major League All-Star game. His pitching was Wonderphil and I thought the comic inspired artwork was pretty sweet as well.

The stadium is a cool blend of past and present, paying tribute to Yankee greats while a Hard Rock Cafe inside the stadium and a collection of flat screen plasma tvs in the bleacher walls reminds you that you're in a state of the art entertainment facility.

Despite a shaky start, falling behind early, the Yankees were able to pull out a close game in extra innings. The most exciting play of the game may have been an inside the park homerun off the bat of outfielder Brett Gardner; all I can say is man that dude is fast!

At the end of the day the hero was pinch hitter Marcus Thames. Fresh off the disabled list, Thames hit a game winning single in the bottom of the 10th inning.

Great weather, good food, and a Yankees win; what better way to spend the 4th?

We hope everyone had a fun and safe 4th of July. Happy Independence Day!