How To Be A Graphic Designer...

I have yet to find a bookstore here that sells a wide range of Graphic Design books in English and so i'm forced to order them online.

Majority of my orders are books filled with colourful inspiration and I Wish I Had Thought of That solutions. Many times i will browse through them only when i start a new project and/or when i am lacking a coherent concept.

I am often indecisive as to which book to buy since there really are so many out there. But majority of the time i will decide based on price and whether the content amount is actually worth the said amount.

Although that said, i can also be easily persuaded, especially if it comes recommended and has positive reviews.

For example, there's Nubby, a blogger and graphic designer that never fails to inspire me and has a great sense of style wrote; 8 Design Books That I Love : A list of personal favorites.

Here is her #3 choice;

HOW TO BE A GRAPHIC DESIGNER WITHOUT LOSING YOUR SOUL
By Adrian Shaughnessy

It is brimming with practical, common sense advice that every beginning designer should know. I love the introduction: “Designers are quick to tell us about their sources of inspiration, but they are much less willing to reveal such critical matters as how to find work, what to charge, and what to do when a client rejects three weeks of work and refuses to pay the bill.” This book answers all those nagging questions designers have when starting out but don’t know who to ask. Written in a very straight-forward manner by a designer for designers, this is a must-read for design students.

I found the title rather amusing.

I was also intrigued after i read a few pages on Amazon and had scrolled through the numerous reviews.

17.50 Euro

So i was quick to order myself a copy.

Why?

Because i'm a sucker for good deals and am in desperate need of a bigger push especially since i'm working independently and trying to run a business.

A depleting bank account is, by no means, comforting and neither is not knowing when or even whether a new project will come in.

IKEA Kitchen Planner.

Seeing that we were planning on going to IKEA yesterday, i was craving IKEA's bread pockets filled with tomato and mozzarella all day. And so i suggested to J that we get something to eat first.

They say one should not shop when one is hungry. Apparently, it leads to unnecessary purchases.

"EAT ME HOW YOU WANT!"

But prior to yesterday's excursion i had no idea that designing a kitchen from scratch would be so complex. And more so if one is on a budget and doesn't have an expert on hand to give pointers.

So J and i went to IKEA last night thinking that maybe in the two and a half hours we had before closing, we could at least sort out what we wanted and that would be the end of it.

Wrong.

After snaking our way through IKEA we finally arrived in the kitchen area. We asked for help and the IKEA lady guides us towards a computer and briefly explains how to work IKEA's Kitchen Planner.

Hmmm.

We had less than two hours to go until closing...


One and a half hours later and we were no where near completion.

At which point, i'm not liking the layout at all. I think the only thing that was correct was probably the room size.

So trying to shift pieces that wouldn't budge and generally not understanding how to use the programme meant a lot of time was wasted.

Why is it so difficult?


But the good part is, the IKEA Kitchen Planner can be used in the comfort of my own home. I just had to download the necessary plug-in and i was good to go.

Depending on the country you're in, the language obviously adjusts accordingly.



Oh and did you know that IKEA, Save the Children and UNICEF have a joint campaign called 'A smile is worth so much'?

For every soft toy sold between November 1 and December 24, 2010, IKEA will donate €1 (approximately US$ 1.30) to Save the Children and UNICEF, to support children around the world’s educational needs. With soft toy prices ranging from just $0.49 to $19.99, these cuddly toys make perfect stocking stuffers, grab bag items and affordable gifts for all of the children on your list. [source]

Well J and i did our part and bought a colourful toy butterfly. Here's hoping it brings a smile to some child's face.

***

This morning i woke up at 6:30 AM and went straight online to try and figure out the damn kitchen planner on my computer.


Eight hours and several dozen versions later, i was still not finished.

Each time i thought i was close to being done, i'd find something wrong. Seriously, it's so annoying! It's moments like these that i wish i chose to be an Interior Designer.

However, there's one version that i'm leaning towards but it's like double the amount that i've budgeted for. Obviously some changes have to be made and J has to have a say in it too. But i'm thinking positive and hoping that with a few adjustments and cheaper alternatives we'll get the kitchen that we want.

Fingers crossed we get the design sorted by this weekend because we're moving in eleven days!

ELEVEN and nothing is packed... yet.

***

Anyway i must go now because i need to start baking the shortbread cookies i'm planning on giving J's grandmother and mom for Christmas.

Oh!

I nearly forgot, here's wishing all my friends, silent readers and randoms a very Merry Christmas!

Tired of Blank Walls.

Prior to moving into the place we currently call 'home', we had only seen one other place. It was in our price range and the "balcony with a view" meant looking over a car park and having a direct view into the living room in the next block.

But then fifteen months ago when Js current boss told us that she knew of an apartment that could be for rent, we jumped at the chance to look at it. Turned out our future landlord had already filed his divorce papers and his current tenant who took up most of the top floor was moving out.

Score!

I remember walking into the place and thinking how fancy it looked with granite flooring in the hallway and heated tiles in the bathroom - we were definitely spoilt.

Although i doubt our new place will have heated flooring. One should be so lucky.

And out of all the places we've moved to, we haven't had the need to paint the walls or put up wallpaper. But the previous tenant, for some reason, painted the hallway a dark brown.

Why?

I have no idea. Out of all the colours in the rainbow, he chose a *poo* brown. It definitely has made the place look so much darker and feel so much more narrower. But i remember before we actually signed the contract, we were excited at the prospect of doing a mural, hanging various sized framed photos and even sticking my collection of 1 cent coins up on the wall to create a pattern.


Thirteen months later, the wall looks exactly the same as when we moved in, except for the odd scratches here and there.

The nails the previous tenant knocked in haven't moved hence the reason why the three items on the wall are not centred. The colour in the hallway remains to be that icky brown colour and Miss June 2008 [Max] still fills up that blank space.

Our excuse has been that we never had enough disposable money [and Time] to get around to painting the hallway. Laziness is more like it.

But with Luna frequently jumping up at invisible butterflies on the wall, the last thing we wanted were mini foot prints up and down the hallway.

So as the woman of the household, i have appointed myself in charge of any creative decisions. J will just have to deal with it.

I've already seen a few prints in IKEA that i like but as they are so mass produced, i have decided against it. And the idea of ripping out pages from a magazine and sticking them up with blu-tac seems so 'high school'. Although i have no issues with the walls in my work room having taped up printouts.

They're there to remind me to do work.


And my mood door, which has turned itself into a place to stick pieces i like whether they are purposely designed or just random items that i remind me of my past. It will be one that i will continue once we move into our new place.

Although, i wouldn't mind something like this...

[via smoothdaddyride]

And if money [and availabilty] were no object, i wouldn't say no to any pieces done by Shawn Barber or Audrey Kawasaki either.

For those of you who need inspiration and would like ideas of how to visually spice up your home, check out Bloesem : Let's Get Personal. I'm so jealous. Some people have, like, the coolest place!

So should any of my silent readers like to share some links to where one could purchase some impressive originals that won't cost an arm and a leg or even prints, i would be most appreciative.

They don't even have to look realistic.

I like funny doodles and quick sketches. Photographs are good as well and so are housewarming presents.

*smiles*

Looking For Inspiration.

There was no pretty sunrise this morning, just the lightest shade of cool grey covering the sky. It's the kind of weather that makes me want to curl back into a deep sleep or snuggle up on the sofa for a quick nap.

I guess that's one of the problems i have with being self-employed and working from home, it's so easy to get distracted with so many other things other than work.

Here's a thought, maybe i should start making it a point to not sit at my desk in the clothes that i sleep in.

Hmmm.

Maybe it'll motivate me to be more productive.

I guess with my close to zero social life and me spending majority of the time cooped up at home cleaning the dishes, tidying the apartment and battling ongoing jobs that don't seem to want to end, my typical day is rather monotonous.

And then this arrived from DHL just now...


Last week i ordered three graphic design books and one of them arrived; Best of 1-colour + 2-color graphics. The other two should be here either next week or the week after.

Anyway, the book itself is about the size of an A5 sheet [which is half of an A4 paper]. And it's much thicker than i had imagined it to be and it packs in about 333 pages worth of 1- and 2-colour design pieces. Whether they're of corporate identities, packaging or well executed layouts, the examples i've seen so far are interesting.

So much so, i may even be excited to move on to my next project which involves a series of property brochures.

*gasps*

Did i just say, "excited" to do work?

But first, i've got to finish the last two sections of a yet another corporate identity manual i'm still working on which is also due in at the end of the month.

So many distractions, so little time.

And apart from the obvious, i guess if there's one thing i do enjoy about flipping through new good graphic design books, is it has managed to keep that itty-bitty flame of Creativity inside of me burning.

Oh how i wish i were more creative.

I guess that's where dreams come in.

Happy Malaysia Day!

In my thirty years of living, i've spent a total of about eight years of it in Malaysia. As an expatriate living there i had a love-hate relationship with the country. But now that i'm living on the other side of the world from it, i realised i do miss elements of the place.

What do i miss?

Well first and foremost, it would definitely be the food. Seriously, it's so good AND so much cheaper than here. Then a close second would be the handful of friendships i've managed to keep along the way.

To all my Malaysian friends and readers...

DiGi Malaysia Day - Astro My Story
Director: Rajay Singh / Eugene Lim Producer: Pete Singh
Line Producer: Lance Lim Agency: Naga DDB, Malaysia

Even if you're not Malaysian, you should still watch this DiGi advertisement. I think it's funny. It makes me smile. It's in Bahasa Melayu, which i don't understand but it's got English subtitles, so that helps.

Yes i know, eight years of living in the country and i still don't know how to speak Malay. I'm terrible, i know. But with practically everyone speaking English, i didn't find it necessary to learn a new dialect or language - well that's my excuse.

Anyway, for those of you who don't know what Sambal blachan is, it's a chili based sauce. A Malay style sambal consists of fresh chilis with toasted shrimp paste (belacan) which is then pounded in a stone mortar to which sugar and lime juice are added. [source]

I find it too hot but i know many people who LOVE IT!

DID YOU KNOW:
Malaysia Day is held on September 16 every year to commemorate the establishment of the Malaysian federation on the same date in 1963. It marked the joining together of Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore to form Malaysia. [source]

However, on August 7, 1965, Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, decided upon the expulsion of Singapore from the Federation due to frequent disagreement in politics, economic, financial and social policies, leading to the Independence of Singapore on 9 August 1965. [source]

Malaysian culture or Malaya culture is a mixture of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and various indigenous tribes [source]

There ya go, just a little bit of history for ya on this sunny, 10˚C Thursday morning.

Ohne Scheiss

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NO SHIT
We are totally open.

Every Friday till 22 o'clock

Apparently, you can include "shit" as a headline for your advertising, which i find hilarious for some reason. Although the more polite translation/version would be, i kid you not [source].

Some background information, Toom is a hardware store and the average store in Germany closes at 8 PM - earlier if you live on the outskirts/villages.

So yes, to be open till 10 PM is a big deal.

We All Could Do With Some Turtle Pancakes.

In an act of procrastination i was cruising online looking for a simple Cupcakes recipe. One that contained minimum ingredients and one that wouldn't require much of my time. My pesky deadline is biting me in the arse and therefore, Time is of Essence.

So when i finally managed to find a recipe that i could pull off, i was super excited. So there i was pulling out the ingredients from the cupboard and i realised i didn't have any cupcake holders.

Scheiße!

Which kinda defeats the whole purpose of making those little CUPcakes. I might as well have baked a cake. But where's the fun in that!?

So then my search got a little side tracked and i found this cute little site called Jim's Pancakes. And as the name suggests, Jim makes pancakes.

Doesn't he make it look so easy!?

Watching that makes me wanna go into the kitchen and make turtle pancakes too! Now all i need to get is a flavor injector tool, a few chocolate drops, some green food colouring and i'm good to go.

Sigh.

But what i really need is to get back to work.

...

Oh and i'm also in the process of writing down a possible THINGS TO DO List for when J's Little L comes to visit for two weeks next month. So if any of you have any suggestions of what J and i could do, see or make to entertain an 8-year old girl, we'd much appreciate it.

Drawgasmic: I wish i could...

I wish i had a hobby. One that i could be so obsessed with every other waking moment. A hobby that would keep me occupied when i'm bored or something to turn to when i need some time out.

There must have been a time when i knew how to draw.

Maybe i should try to cross stitch. Paint. Something to steer me away from staring at my 21.5 inch monitor.

And then in a act of procrastination i came across this and became more envious...

: click :

And thought, if i can't draw i'm sure at least ONE of my silent readers' can.

ONE of you must have a talented bone in your body. So if you're one of those people who wishes their doodles and sketches were seen by thousands, i say give it a shot.

For many, including myself, the exhibition is a bit of a hike to get to but if you're in St. Louis or near, you should check it out.

Q: What sort of artists/work are you looking for?

A: We're looking for weird, strange, cartoon, unusual, cute, freaky, edgy, low brow, surreal, pop, interesting, realistic, crazy, and wonderful works of art! If it seems awesome: We will love it!

Q: When does my work need to get there?

A: As soon as possible!!! SERIOUSLY! We are scanning and posting the work onto this website as we receive it. The faster you get the work to us the faster we can post it on the site. The cut off date to get work here is June 1st. Period! Any work received after June 1st will not be included in the book or the exhibition. Ship early and be safe!

You don't have much time but if you act NOW you have about 6 days for your master piece to reach them.

Submitting work is FREE and ONLY if your piece is accepted than you pay $35 as an operational/application fee [Read terms here]. To apply click here and when submitting your work don't forget to decorate your envelope like here. All work that is in the exhibition gets featured in a limited edition coffee table book which participating artists gets wholesale discounts on ANY book orders they place!

Have i told you, i wish i could draw.

Inspired by Curves & Type.

My current project that i'm working on comes in several parts and the first part involves creating a few logos. Unfortunately, my current library of inspiration has gone a bit stale. And i desperately needed something fresh.

So last week i ordered my first book online. Yes, i know i am a bit behind in this whole online ordering business. But i've never really had any reason to order anything online since i've always been able to find a book store in the neighborhood.

My folks weren't sure what to give me for my birthday present, so when they asked me what i wanted, i was quick to say, Design books would be nice. And so they said to just send them the bill.

And after much consideration and reading many reviews, i finally decided on Los Logos 4. It is the 4th in the series and promises over 5,000 brand identities.

THANKS MOM AND DAD!

I didn't want to use my credit card, so my sister told me my other option was to order it from Amazon.de, where i could pay by transferring the money using my bank details. The [dot]com and the [dot]de sites are somewhat similar except one is in English and the other is in German.

Yes, i dared to make my order in German *gasps* [with the help of my german dictionary] and crossed my fingers that my order would arrive in 2 days.

Lucky for me, it worked.

But for those of you who are interested in purchasing this book, check out Gestalten[dot]com, they include page previews there. I only just found that site minutes ago and at the time that i was making my decision Amazon didn't include any page previews.

Boo to you!

Checking out page previews is extremely handy if you're unsure or you're one of those people who must see its contents before bidding farewell to your hard earned money. And at 44 Euros [just shy of RM200], it doesn't come cheap.

But i already had an idea what to expect since i've seen the first 2 editions. I just wasn't sure whether saying good-bye to 44 Euros at a click of a button was something i could feel good about.

However, that said, i am a super happy customer.

Makes playing with curves more fun.

Fancy seeing one for Kuala Lumpur.

I agree.

There are so many wonderfully designed logos in this piece. And each time a logo grabs my attention, i can't help but smile and think, Damn. Why didn't i think of that!

Ten logo design tips.

THANKS ♥ LOGODESIGNLOVE

1. A logo doesn’t need to say what a company does


Restaurant logos don’t need to show food, dentist logos don’t need to show teeth, furniture store logos don’t need to show furniture. Just because it’s relevant, doesn’t mean you can’t do better.

The Mercedes logo isn’t a car. The Virgin Atlantic logo isn’t an aeroplane. The Apple logo isn’t a computer. Etc. Etc.

2. Not every logo needs a mark


Sometimes a client just needs a professional logotype to identify their business. Don’t be afraid to ask what they think.

3. Two-way process


Remember, things might not always pan out as you hope. Your client might request something you disagree with. If that happens, try giving them what they want, then show them what you believe is an improvement, and why. They’re less likely to be so resistant if they already see how their thoughts pan out.

4. Picasso started somewhere


You don’t need to be an artist to realise the benefits of logo sketching. Ideas can flow much faster between a pen and paper than they can a mouse and monitor.

5. Under-promise, over-deliver


If you’re unsure how long a task will take to complete, estimate longer. Design projects are like construction work — you piece lots of little elements together to form a greater whole, and setbacks can crop up at any time.

6. Leave trends to the fashion industry


Trends come and go, and when you’re talking about changing a pair of jeans, or buying a new dress, that’s fine, but where your brand identity is concerned, longevity is key.



Don’t follow the pack.


Stand out.

7. Work in black first
By leaving colour to the end of the process, you focus on the idea. No amount of gradient or colour will rescue a poorly designed mark.

8. Keep it appropriate


Designing for a lawyer? Ditch the fun approach. Designing for a kid’s TV show? Nothing too serious. I could go on, but you get the picture.

9. A simple logo aids recognition


Keeping the design simple allows for flexibility in size. Ideally, your design should work at a minimum of around one inch without loss of detail. Look at the logos of large corporations like Mitsubishi, Samsung, FedEx, BBC etc. Their logos look simple and are easier to recognise because of it.

10. One thing to remember


That’s it. Leave your client with just one thing to remember about the design. All strong logos have one single feature to help them stand out.



Not two, three, or four.



One.

***

And probably one of my favorite examples of the KISS [Keep It Simple, Stupid] Principle...

"Egg-n-Spoon"

with the tagline, "Same day Couriers - Speed with Care" by Thoughtful.

It's pure genius, i think. Simplicity to the max. It has the ability to communicate to the viewer almost immediately with its clever use of negative space. I LOVE IT!

Waving to the Money Gods.

One of the problems of not having a monthly income is the anxiety and stress that overcomes me when my bank balance inches dangerously close to zero. Or worse, when the balance sits in the minus pit of doom.

Anyone who's been in the same position knows, it seriously sucks to be broke.

Bills will always have to be paid and food will most definitely need to be put on the table.

Simple luxuries like fresh bread that we'd usually buy for 2€ were replaced by a supermarket brand a quarter of the price. I'm not a snob. I just like bread. It's times like these, that it's definitely worth being a non-meat eater because grocery bills are reduced by a third, if not more.

Last year i managed to work on a corporate identity manual which helped pay for many luxuries and our every day life. Although our move to a new city, didn't really help in our expenditures. Money has a tendency to come and go and before i knew it my worries were back.

Since coming to Germany, i've learned to appreciate what little disposable income i have.

And if you're one of the few that have been following my ever so exciting life, 2010 started really bad for me; both mentally and physically. But then like a gust of wind everything changed.

J and i started having a social life. We took on the challenge of owning kittens kids. J has started to juggle two jobs to help ends meet. And i'm tapping in on my Creativity to help support our little family, by means of scoring some design work. And based on my production schedule, this massive job should keep me occupied until September!

So i sent out the quotation and every day i'd check my bank accounts online and each time a minuscule of Hope would flicker when i'd click the log in button.

"Please let the money be there," i'd say. But to my disappointment my account would scream less than one digit.

So sad.

Waiting for a client to pay the first deposit is like watching a plant grow. It can take so bloody long.

Then this morning, i did my usual bank balance ritual and lo and behold, the Money Gods heard my prayers... THANK YOU!

So as a pre-birthday treat to myself, i'm going to be all girly and spend the afternoon at the hairdressers. And i wonder, does "Uh oh" in English mean the same in German.

Let's hope i don't find out.

Periodic Table of Typefaces.

Most likely appreciated by graphic designers and Type lovers out there...

Courtesy of Squidspot!

For those of you wishing to print it out as a high-quality version you can request to have the source files (vector eps, pdf or color pdf) by simply donating an amount that you consider the file is worth [here] and not forgetting to include a valid e-mail address. Then he'll e-mail you the link within 24 hours.

Or as he has kindly stated,

"If you're dead broke or don't think the source files should cost a thing, that's cool. I wish Paypal would allow "$0.00" as an option. If you don't want to send money just shoot me an e-mail HERE and you'll get hooked up with the source files. No worries"

And if you want, you can simply set it as your wallpaper. Download your preferred size at squidspot[dot]com.

Midnight Inspiration.

Last night i was looking for a particular clip art for J and happened to stumble upon the work of Steven Bonner. Distracted as usual, i found myself browsing through his recent work. I was impressed. I won't pretend like i know heaps about the Design world and neither will i regurgitate a history lesson about them.


When i do come across something that inspires me, i always wish that i too could be that creative.

I try to embed the still image in my brain. And even though i don't have a photographic memory it's times like these i wish i had - i should really start a Design scrap book or something and actually use it.


I reckon i am a visual person. One that understands more when i can see what i'm learning rather than just reading or hearing it. For example when i'm trying to remember a sentence structure in German, the highlighted multi-coloured words float off my page and stand motionless before my eyes.

And when it comes to Design, you just know when something stands out from the others. I definitely have a soft spot for vector art.


It's like i've been sucked into a black hole. And there i am wishing that my impatient lazy arse could mimic the techniques and be the lucky owner of such a creative eye.


So as i inch closer towards 30, i continue on my journey to find my groove and purpose in life. And in turn, never forgetting to envy those that i fancy.

Staying focused.

Still not a morning person, i was up before the sun rise to make J his coffee and pack his breakfast so he wouldn't be late for work. Just so you know, we're on better terms with each other now. Let's just say we kissed and made up after our big fallout over the weekend and i'm more than certain both parties are making an extra effort to show the other they're doing their part for the relationship.

I realised believing in myself is much harder than painting a smile on my face.

But i'm trying.

The other day i purposely missed the bus that comes every 2 hours, to see if i could walk to the city centre on my own. The fresh snow melting air helped cleanse my thoughts and lungs. My doctor recommended that i continue to move that way i will heal faster. And although most of the serious pains have gone, i do occasionally cramp up and feel nausea but i'm thinking that is still part of the post-operation recovery process. Unfortunately, i can't properly lie on my side without support as my abdomen is still slightly sensitive but i am making progress.

So today instead of crawling back into bed at 7am, even though i could do with a few more hours of shut eye, i sat down and scribbled on a scrap paper my To Do list for the day:

• Do Laundry
• Iron shirts
• Upload photos
• Tidy up
• Clean the dishes
• Vacuum
  
• Work on logo design
• Write invoice
• Create work time-table
  
• Rearrange living room

Tomorrow our new super comfy, micro fibre, corner sofa bed that we ordered 2 weeks ago from Porta is finally being delivered!

It's similar in design and price to the one we saw in IKEA, however the material and colour of Porta's sofa is far more superior. Plus the mechanics of how the sofa turns into a bed is also much better.


So after much thought and taking into consideration that it originally was 300€ more than the advertised price, we decided it was a great deal. At last our days of sitting/lying on the spare mattress whilst watching TV/having dinner will soon be over.

...

Moving on, as i mentioned before, i've also taken on a 2-part project [a logo design + stationery and a corporate identity manual] all of which has a deadline of April. So the last few days i've been trying to build a momentum and get myself back into the swing of things.

And this coming Monday my German classes start up again so i predict the next month is going to be super challenging trying to juggle it all. I'm trying not to stress myself out about it and not get overwhelmed, so i keep my fingers crossed that i can get this job completed on time and one that i am satisfied with.


And to help with my inspiration, the other weekend i received two 12-kilo boxes stuffed with 24 graphic design books, courtesy of my parents. They're my old design reference books that i had bought a while back. But it's been about 2 years since i've flipped through their pages as they have been sitting in boxes in my folks place. So having them with me brings back memories and i'm hoping they'll reignite the Spark of Love i once had for Design.

And in another attempt to boost my design motivation i declared i needed a Pantone Formula Guide. For those of you who have no design background knowledge it's basically a booklet with 1,114 solid PANTONE Colors, including 14 base colors each with a particular code known as a PANTONE Metric System [PMS]. Each PMS colour is known to each printer worldwide and guarantees that no matter where you print the artwork, the colours will be the same. Icons are shown beneath each color to indicate that that particular colour can be reproduced in CMYK and/or RGB.

Believe me, it's much more exciting than it sounds.


So i made my first bid on eBay - yes i know, i'm a bit slow in this whole eBay business but i've never really had any interest to buy anything until recently and guess what? I WON! So now i am a proud owner of a new [still in shrink wrap] Pantone Formula Guide for Uncoated stock.

Including the shipping it cost me 28€ which saved me about 10+€ should i had decided to order it from a store. So yes that's something to be happy about.

I feel so Designery already.

And although i have yet to get my head around doing my website or being satisfied with my corporate identity and personal business card, i at least will know when my FA goes out to print my colours will be accurate.

Why does IE have to be so difficult?

I just spent the past 4 hours trying to figure out which part of the code to edit so i can replace the default typed out blog title to the one featured in the image above. It was a slow and tedious process. I change one thing, something else shifts. I forget a letter or delete something by accident, the preview doesn't work and i can't publish it online.

It was all so very confusing and damn right frustrating.

And only by accident did i manage to remove the menu bar that was at the top [featuring links and blogs that i frequently visit]. But that wasn't what i wanted to do to begin with. Even though the designer had designed it that way, somehow i wasn't feelin' it. So that took an hour or so to figure out which part of the script that was.

So everything looked fine and dandy in Firefox. But then Safari decides to add the 'Title' to the top - which i didn't want but then managed to fix.

And just when i thought i could go to bed, i thought i'd check on J's PC what the blog looks like on Internet Explorer.
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And damn it, it wasn't even there! My header was missing. All that work for nothing.

So for all you Internet Explorer users out there, it's because of YOU that i'm changing my template... again! But i can't be arsed to do it right now, it's way past my bed time.

As a wise fellow designer once told me, i must remember to K.I.S.S: Keep It Simple Stupid.

Multi-shades of Grey.

As you can see the Autumn themed blog skin lasted all of 22 hours.

I couldn't do it. I just couldn't do it.

Well technically it's still Autumn inspired, the only difference is it focuses more on the ever so exciting grey skies that i get to look forward to.

Have i told you how much i dislike the weather here? It sucks. I'm getting pastier by the hour.

Anyway back to yesterday's fruit-flavored template, somehow it didn't feel right. It's like that feeling you get when put on somebody elses' undies on by accident. It's unfamiliar territory.

But for those of you who weren't here to check up on me yesterday, i took the initiative of taking a screen shot for ya...

Seeeeeeee!

I mean it's a nice theme but somehow i lost the me, winkris, "Chrissie" in it. Well, let's just say, my eyes didn't adjust to the bright colours and somehow the happy-happy joy-joy look wasn't kickin' it for me.

I wanted a change. A little spice to my layout.

But who was i kidding?

The grey tones are much more gentler on the retinas and far more soothing. Now there aren't so many distractions. Although i may invest in changing the header a bit. It's a bit... well... blah and obvious. But overall, i'm quite liking the simplicity of this template.

Yes. This is still a work in progress...

Like Autumn Colours.

I originally wanted to add a bit of colour to the pre-existing masthead, maybe even do up a new one but i couldn't think of a new design. And as i was writing out my "Things To Do" list this morning, somehow i got distracted. What started off as 'i'm-only-just-browsing', ended up 4 hours later me actually changing it all.

So i did what everyone else does when wanting a blog face-lift and googled 'blogspot templates'. And after looking at dozens of sites and hundreds of templates, i finally chose this one. The colours remind me of Autumn. I like watching those beautiful golden auburn leaves dance in the wind just before they hit the ground.

Anyway, please bear with me, as this is still a work in progress and i'm still sorting out my links.

I also tweaked the coding because some areas were a bit wonky and misaligned. I honestly have no idea when it comes to javascript or html coding, so don't ask me any questions. It was pretty much a 'trial and error' kinda deal.

But i do have some issues still...

1. Just below the header are some rollovers: HOME, POST RSS, COMMENTS RSS, EDIT. How does one remove the tab 'EDIT'? It doesn't really link to anywhere since i'm guessing this template was originally made for Wordpress and when they translated it into blogger, there was some glitch somewhere.
   
   
2. How does one remove the READ MORE and that fat pencil at the end of each post? Because from what i see, each post is showing everything and there isn't anymore to read. I checked the HTML coding but i can't seem to find it.
   
   
3. And when it comes to links in the main body copy, how does one make links bold or permanently underlined? It's currently only set so when there is a link it's only underlined when rolled over.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Oh yea and if you spot anything else wrong or find something not quite kosher, please share your thoughts or forever hold your peace.

Bubbles + Work go hand in hand.

J had to work late again last night, so i occupied myself with developing my logo and deciding on the look & feel of my business. It is true when they say, being your own client is probably the hardest thing. Indecisive and uncertain on a concept since after all, the final outcome is what i'm going to be stuck with. Well it's not so FINAL since i could always redo it and start again. But it's taken me a few months to figure it out and i've even let it sit so i can digest it. And after much tweaking, i think i'm quite happy with the results.

J thinks so and he's super picky when it comes to alignments and making sure it looks "just right". He's like my personal slave driver when it comes to me designing something. He has an eye for picking out even the slightest millimetre off! He's quite persistent that way and at times can be irritating especially since after staring at the screen for hours on end, all i want to do is get the job over and done with and move on.

But bless him for being a Perfectionist.

He keeps me on my toes and knows how to calm me down when i start stressing out. Which unfortunately, has happened a few times already. If anyone would start yelling, i would be the guilty party. Yes, i know i need to just calm the fuck down sometimes but seriously, i'm so much better now! Past colleagues would swear i'm a totally different person if only they could see me now.

J makes constructive criticisms and for most of the times, i agree. So as a team, i think we work really well together.

So when J came home late last night, my eyes were already dry from sitting hunched over in front of my laptop willingly allowing the radiation to set into my brain. Tired and convinced that the minute he'd see the work i did, he would say something was wrong with it or would sit there, as he does, and point out exactly what wasn't right.

But he didn't.

In fact, he loved every little bit of it and said how proud he was of me. I could grasp the moment and document it under Sentimental & Mushy and how for the first time in a very long time, i believe i could be a Designer after all. It's taken me a while to get my confidence back and only recently has Creativity bit me on the arse a few times to make me realise. And i can only hope when Inspiration hits, i am smart enough to grab hold of it and make something out of it.

That said, i'm still envious over friends who are doing far more creative things than what i'm doing. Why can't i be arty farty like them!? Why didn't i think of something like that!? I'm so lame. Oh how i wish i could draw like her and so on and so forth.


So back to the reason why i was drinking champagne past midnight. Well J had just finished at an event that he was working at and his colleague so graciously gave him a bottle of champagne. I believe there was a request on J's side and after a few exchanged words the colleague was fine with the idea of giving up a bottle.

What are we celebrating?

We couldn't really think of anything so the fact that we made it to the middle of the week and tomorrow [today] is Thursday was good enough of a reason to pop open the champers. Plus i was quite satisfied with the work i had done so far, why not have a few glasses to rock me to sleep.

Can i just add that it was the nicest tasting champers i've had. I'm no connoisseur but forget Moët for a moment since i actually think they're overrated. And if i had a choice, i totally would recommend the Drappier Carte d'Or Brut. Their website is rather fancy with their ink strokes and flash animation.

Skills - We have 'em. Others are just better.

Between now and my last post, not that much has happened. Unless of course you would like me to go into detail about how i did a round of laundry, cooked salmon with cream sauce and made mashed potatoes. Then this morning sorted out breakfast, made the bed but then ended up taking a short nap right back in it.

Oh i know what to add to my excitement yesterday, i contemplated putting off mailing a letter which i already fixed a stamp on but was too lazy to walk to the mailbox which is only a 2 minute walk away. Seriously, it takes me longer to get showered and changed than to walk over the bridge and up the road.

But i did it anyway. My life is fascinating isn't it?

...

Anyway, i came across this video that a friend added on, where else but, facebook. I had no idea what to expect but if you have about 18 minutes to spare and want to be amazed by some mad skills then watch Nathan "Flutebox" Lee and Beardyman...



Seriously, why couldn't i have a talent like that? And even if i tried, i'd probably end up hyperventilating with that much oxygen. Then ungraciously i would pass out covered in my own saliva. Lovely.

P.S I'm guessing blowing on the top of a beer bottle to make a mellow sound doesn't really count as a musical talent. How about blowing spit bubbles? Does that count as a skill?

Probably not, eh.

2 Please. Going Up/Down?

This morning J and i finally went to the tax office to hand in my form to register my company. Lady Luck was on our side and we managed to find parking right outside the building [which is nearly unheard of] and then at that very moment it started to hail. What is with the weather? It's gone a bit nuts lately.

We got inside and they had these old skool lifts. I've never seen anything like them before but apparently they're common in the government offices here.

The lifts had no doors and they kept moving!

One just had to step into it and it would travel at a steady speed. It looked like some kind of ride you'd find at a fun fair. The lift only fit 2 people, there were no lights and you just stood there until it was time for you to hop out onto your desired floor.

Definitely not good if you're claustrophobic. But i'm sure they had stairs. Can you imagine what a bitch it would be if it were Peak hour, you'd be standing there for ages. Or if there were a power cut and you were stuck in between floors and couldn't squeeze through the opening! That's some scary shit.

And as i stood there in between floors, waiting for the 2nd floor to arrrive i had images of tripping up and unvoluntarily doing the splits then getting squished in between the floors. Or worse, the cables would break and the lift carriage would catapult itself to the highest floor and come crashing down.

But don't worry, i made it in and out without any drama.

So now i just have to wait for the paperwork to be processed and that also means i better keep that Thinking/Creative cap on, eh?