Tulip Mania

Shelley — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:47:01 +0000

The morning of Queen’s Day in Amsterdam, we took a short day trip out to the Keukenhof Gardens. It was one of my favorite things we did during our Eurotrip. I’ve been to a lot of botanical gardens in different cities, but none can compare to the Keukenhof. The tulips are simply immaculate, and unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The gardens are full of vivid colors and fantastically designed flower beds. And, as seen above, you could venture out to the tulip fields that are grown for the bulb and cut flower industry. It’s one of the most special things I’ve ever seen.

Going Dutch

Shelley — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:48:29 +0000

After staying with Kris at his work apartment in Germany, we went on a little Eurotrip to Holland and Belgium. Amsterdam was my favorite. We got there a few days before Queen’s Day, a huge national holiday that’s basically a big street party where everyone wears orange. Because our apartment was on the canals, we were right in the thick of it.

My PLAYful Summer

Shelley — Tue, 08 May 2012 15:36:17 +0000

This past month and a half, I’ve been working as the contributing Art Director for Orlando parenting mag, PLAYGROUND. It really was a full-circle experience, because I started out at PLAYGROUND as a design intern at the end of my college career a few years ago. It was my first design position, and one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. During that time, it solidified my desire to do design for a living. I bonded with the founder and creative director of PLAYGROUND, Heather Reneau. She has helped me so much over the years, she helped me get my first job at Conceive Magazine, and after keeping in touch, helped me get a job at the textbook company I worked for too. So when she contacted me a couple of months ago asking if I’d like to be the art director for the summer issue while she was on maternity leave, I said YES.

Here are a few of my favorite spreads and pages from the issue. If you’re in Orlando, pick up your own free copy, available at these locations.

The Black Forest

Shelley — Mon, 07 May 2012 19:42:00 +0000

My time in Freudenstadt, Germany was really special. The town is right in the middle of the Black Forest, with breathtaking views all around. The town is known for its fresh air, how cool is that?

2012 Florida Film Festival

Shelley — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:53:54 +0000

I’m not in Florida right now, but if I was, I’d have gone to the Florida Film Festival. And I love the posters that Lure Design did for 2012′s Fest.

Road Trip to Freiberg

Shelley — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:04:23 +0000

This weekend we took an hour and a half drive over to Freiberg. The city is in the Black Forest, and our drive over was filled with scenes of beautiful mountains and charming towns. It’s a very popular regional tourist destination, but it didn’t seem like a big international spot, which made me feel all the luckier to be there experiencing it. The city was founded in the early 12th century, and the intricate stonework everywhere was beautiful. I loved the Bächle, the gutters that carry water from the Dreisam that are everywhere in Freiberg. We had a nice time visiting the bustling city, despite the dreary and mostly rainy weather. It was much more metropolitan than our little spot in Freudenstadt.

New Beginnings

Shelley — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:11:44 +0000

I’m writing this post from my boyfriend’s apartment in Germany. From a little town called Freudenstadt to be exact. He’s staying here temporarily while working on a project for his dissertation. Why am I here? Well, I have to go back a few weeks to explain.

At the end of March, I was laid off from my job in the textbook world. It was unexpected, but not exactly unpleasant news. I’ve long been living two lives — my full-time position in textbooks, and my freelance life at night. And freelance was where my heart was. Granted, I don’t want to pretend that I was thrilled to be laid off, I would have much rather left on my own terms, and with more of a plan. But because of my freelance gigs, I wasn’t freaking out. It took me only a few days to decide I would take the plunge and commit to becoming a full-time freelancer. After all, being a freelance designer has always been my idea of a dream job and I’ve longed to make it work for a while. And I’m so happy to say that 3 weeks in, it’s really working for me.

So back to why I’m writing this from Germany. I already had a European vacation planned for a couple of months, but after I was laid off, I was able to extend my trip. So now, laptop in lap, here I am, working away in Germany during the day, and exploring the town at night. Oh, the joys of freelancing! I’ll be here for a week and a half, then off to Amsterdam and Brussels.

This month has truly been a time of transformation for me. I’ve moved my blog to my portfolio site, to have everything all together. I turned 25 yesterday. And I cut bangs. Whew.

Stay tuned!

Zoe Mof

Shelley — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 04:40:45 +0000

These illustrations by Zoe Mof made me smile. The piano is a commission by Mumford and Sons, to be played in one of their gigs. She has plenty more of fun work at her portfolio.

(Work by Zoe Mof)

Face First

Shelley — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 03:27:28 +0000

Love these bold yet delicate drawings by Langdon Graves.

(Work by Langdon Graves. 1. Face First, 2. Day Shapes, 3. Longing. Via strataflora)

Where Does The Time Go?

Shelley — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 04:00:53 +0000

As I juggle more freelance projects, I find myself asking this question constantly: where does the time go? I’m sure other moonlighters can relate. When I saw this clock, it kind of explained what happened to this weekend.

(Dropped Numbers Clock by cb2)