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You may have seen small glimpses or heard about my printing press through Instagram. Last year, I launched an entire line of letterpress Valentine's Day cards, and while I talked about my excitement of letterpress, I'm not sure how many people really understand what letterpress is.

Letterpress is very different from standard digital printing because you're using an old printing press to imprint an image using hand mixed ink, printing plates, and man power to run the press. The effect is a beautiful finish in which you can actual feel the imprint that the press has left from transferring the ink to paper.

I learned how to letterpress print using a beast of a machine in a shared letterpress studio. As I spent more time with printmaking, I found that I really liked it and wanted the convenience of having my own press. However, as we all know, my studio is cramped and fitting a mammoth of a machine (we're talking a ton in cast iron weight) in my home studio was just not going to happen.

I began researching other options that would be more suitable for my space, and happened upon a 6x10 Pilot press that was located in Columbus, Ohio. These types of machines are old, and not always easy to find, so if you're committing to acquiring one, you know that travel is likely. Thanks to my father in law's ideas and shenanigans, we were able to drive up from Baltimore to spend a quick night in Cleveland, swap our car with his SUV, head on down to Columbus, pick up the printing press and introduce it to it's new home.

While still not completely ideal for the work I'd like to produce, I can do what I'd like to do with the press-- print beautiful letterpress greeting cards. And it's a great stepping stone while I learn more about printmaking through the process of it all. Perhaps some day if I have a larger studio space, I can get a bigger press, but for now this Pilot does the trick.

Have you learned any new skills lately? Have you ever done letterpress priniting?

Two weeks ago, when I shared my goals for this year, I mentioned self-sabotage. Sabotage may seem like a harsh term, but when small things that I have the ability to control change the course of each day, the word sabotage seems appropriate.

For me, it was the little things. I'd check my email first thing in the morning, leading me into a rabbit hole of unproductive habits. I'd hit the snooze button eight times before finally getting up, leaving me feeling groggy and losing a couple hours of my day. I'd put off tasks that were tedious until the last minute, leaving me feeling stressed and even more annoyed about having to complete them.

I had already identified that I was doing these things, but I needed to make a conscious effort if I wanted to toss these bad habits to the curb. So far, almost two weeks into the new year, I've stayed on track with my efforts. I decided that in order to create new habits, I needed a better routine. I'd mentioned before that I had a list of strategies that I was going to try to put into place. Here's a look at a few of these strategies I have used in order to try and create new habits that lead to better productivity.

1 // I make a schedule and to do list for my day the night before. Every evening after dinner, I've sat down with my planner to schedule in both daily to dos and important tasks for the next day. This gives me a chance to reflect on my day and identify what went as planned and what could have been better. It also allows me to clear my head of pressing tasks so I'm not thinking about them while trying to sleep. In the morning, it gives me a running start since I don't need to spend that time in the morning trying to organize my thoughts and my day.

2 // I moved my alarm to my dresser across the room instead of on the nightstand beside the bed. This may seem like a small thing, but it's perhaps the best change I've made so far in my attempt to change bad habits. When my alarm goes off, I have to get up to turn it off. I set one alarm for 7am, 6 minutes earlier than I used to get up when I was still teaching. Usually, Andrew is out of the house at this time, taking Lilah for her morning walk. This means, I have two options-- stay in bed and listen to the horrid sound of the alarm, or get out of bed to turn it off. No one else is going to do it for me. And it has worked. Once I'm out of bed, I'm cold, so I head to the shower to warm up.

3 // I take a shower before breakfast. As mentioned in the last point, because I must get out of bed to turn off the alarm, it leads me to take a shower before I do anything else. This is a game changer. Before, I had the goal to be showered and dressed before 9. Sometimes that happened and sometimes it didn't depending on how comfortable my yoga pants were and how much coffee and reading I wanted to enjoy in the morning. Because I take a shower before anything else, I feel as though I've gained an entire extra hour in my day.

4 // I schedule time to read and respond to email and close Gmail at all other times. Big game changer. If Gmail isn't open, I don't know if new emails arrived in my inbox. If I know I'm setting aside time to respond to emails, I don't feel as though I must check my email first thing in the day. One day, I went until 3 in the afternoon until I remembered that I probably should check in to see if a customer needed a response. I'm hoping to stick with this.

5 // I schedule and take breaks. This has definitely amped up my productivity. In the morning, I take a 30-45 minute break at 10am, to do yoga. It gives me something to look forward to while I spend the previous two hours working. Additionally, I've noticed some major benefits of this practice in only a few weeks (I'll save that for another post). I schedule another break at noon for lunch and reading time, and yet another break around 3 to run to the post office and grab a snack. Each time my break is over, I feel refreshed and ready to go, and my productivity before the scheduled break time peaks as I work to get my task done in the allotted amount of time.

I've stuck with my plan and I've accomplished a lot in the seven work days that I've implemented these strategies. I've been checking things off of my to do list and goals sheets left and right, which becomes a bit addictive and rewarding at the same time. I've often read that it takes 21 days to form a habit, one that you do without having to consciously think about. If that holds true, I'm a third of the way there in creating new habits. Maybe I'll check back in with you on day 14.

Have you formed any new habits lately? What strategies have you used to try to form new habits? Am I late on this alarm clock thing? Because seriously, that was the biggest game changer for me.

 

 

 

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On Friday morning, I excitedly opened Spotify to give David Bowie's Blackstar a test drive. It is what I often do when new albums come out that I am excited about. There wasn't much precursory information about the album, but of the information available, I was intrigued and excited. In addition, my brother in law had written his quick review about it on Facebook ("it was a bit weird"), which further piqued my interest. Having been a huge fan of David Bowie since middle school, this was a big deal.

As the title track of the album began playing, the "a bit weird" review made sense. It was dark and cacophonic and mysterious in a way that only Bowie could pull off. It was a new sound to my ears. I quickly shot my sister a text stating, "It IS a bit weird, but it's Bowie and Bowie is weird, and I sort of totally love it!" I sort of totally loved it enough that I played the album in full three or four more times to try and process what I was listening to.

Later that night, while cooking dinner and washing dishes, I played the album for Andrew. His first reaction was, "That's a bit morbid!" It was morbid and dark and deathly-- exact words I used to describe what we were listening to, but I couldn't shake it. Something about the album stuck in both a wondrous and unsettling way.

Yesterday morning, upon waking to the news of Bowie's death, I knew. I knew why I couldn't shake the feeling the album gave me. The album was meant to be released in this way, in time with his death. It was a final farewell in the same theatrical way that he'd always presented his persona-- almost a perfection in his art. He had created a piece of art that was meant to embody his death. He had succeeded. And it was heartbreaking.

This past weekend, I had already decided that I wanted to share a few words about Blackstar with you, much as I had shared a music post with you this past Friday as well as in the past. However, on Monday, I decided I needed to process what had happened instead and gather my thoughts on paper, so to speak.

In sixth grade, I began listening to the band Queen. My sister and I became quickly obsessed and one of my biggest music idols became Brian May. Naturally, through Queen, I learned about David Bowie. He was fascinating. He pushed the boundaries on so many levels through both his music and his various personas, and for lack of a better way of putting it, he was a weird dude.

Bowie made weird the new cool. And I resonated with that. I was the weird, odd one out. I wore whatever I wanted rather than following any fashion norms, I said what was on my mind even if it didn't align with the ideas of those around me, and American pop culture was mostly foreign to me since I didn't really grow up with many of the same experiences as my peers. Bowie made it ok to be weird, and so being weird was ok.

While my friends were listening to the Backstreet Boys and 'Nsync, I chose to listen to Bowie. I plastered my walls with photos of his various personas instead of photos of boy bands, and I hung a Bowie calendar from my bedroom door instead of one of Justin Timberlake. While my friends had crushes on Timberlake, I did not have a crush on Bowie. Rather, I was inspired by his creativity.

When I was in seventh grade, he released an album entitled Earthling. It was like nothing I had heard before. It was a mish mash of pop and electronica and trance and grunge guitar. It pushed the boundaries of what music was in my mind and made it clear that music didn't need to fit some formula for Top 40 radio. Without his music, I don't know that I would have the drive and hunger for finding new music like I do today.

On Monday, as I listened to Blackstar yet again, I found myself purchasing a vinyl copy of the album to keep. While the album is saddening, I wanted to have this piece of art in hand as a way to celebrate a majestic and innovative life the way I think he had wanted. It serves as a reminder for us all to continue choosing the path that is right for us even if it goes against social norms. Bowie loved what he did so much that he was willing to pursue his creative endeavors and push the boundaries of his art up until his death, living one incredibly full life. It may be a bit weird and strange and beautiful all at the same time, but if weird was ok with Bowie, then weird is ok with me.

 

 

Recently, some pretty amazing new places have started popping up in and around my neighborhood, and I've been thrilled to see this happen. Patterson Park and Highlandtown don't have as much to offer in terms of the retail, restaurant, and bar scene in comparison to a neighborhood like Fells Point or Hampden, but we're getting there.

When Rust-N-Shine opened it's doors in September, they so kindly asked if I would be wiling to sell my cards in their shop, and I happily obliged. I am a huge supporter of local businesses, and being a part of a business near my own neighborhood seemed like an amazing opportunity to be part of the wonderful community that exists here.

Rust-N-Shine is an eclectic vintage goods boutique that offers just about every type of home goods that you could imagine. The small and cozy storefront at Bank Street and Conkling is filled with mid-century furniture, dinnerware, bar ware, vinyl albums, clothing and shoes, lamps, artwork, and all sorts of ephemera that are tucked into every nook and cranny. Each time I have visited, I am instantly drawn to circle the store to hunt for something new because the goods offered so regularly change. And if you see something that catches your eye, it's best to snag it while you can as it just might not be there during your next visit.

The richly colored, orange storefront door invites you to stop by and is usually flanked by other fabulous finds. As a passerby, it would be hard not to want to take a peek at what is inside. The window of the shop shows off small glimmers of trinkets that are just intriguing enough to pull you inside for a better look.

During my last visit, my favorite new discovery was a pair of metal filing drawers that were filled with old postcards from all over the country. I happily perused the photos featured on each of the post cards and would probably have left with a sizable stack of them had my husband not been there to stop me.

Rust-N-Shine makes a wonderful addition to what Highlandtown already has to offer. On a Saturday afternoon, after perusing the shop, you could find yourself wandering down the street to the Highlandtown Gallery and then onward for a drink at The Laughing Pint or Venice Tavern (a hidden gem in itself).

With that said, Rust-N-Shine is well worth the visit and is part of what continues to make Highlandtown an exciting and up and coming neighborhood. I'm happy they're here, and I hope that they offer a glimpse at more of what's to come for our pocket of Baltimore.

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Interested in finding out more or following along? Check out Rust-N-Shine on Facebook and Instagram as well.

 

 

 

I'm a music listener that makes selections based on my mood and energy level. During the holiday season, I somehow stumbled upon the song Change of the Guard by Kamasi Washington. And it was epic. An epic mood booster. And epic productivity booster. An epic vibe. An epic song. Epic jazz.

I described the song to Andrew just as I have to you, and then quickly looked up Washington, so that I could listen to whatever amazing album the song had to have come from. And when I finally came upon said album, I chortled with laughter as I found it was so wonderfully titled, wait for it.... yes--  The Epic.

Understand, Change of the Guard, is just over 12 minutes long, and that's only a fraction of this 17 song, nearly 3 hour long, 3 disc album. And I soak it in. All of it. Again and again.

Washington is a 34 year old saxaphonist and composer with a large resume for such someone his age. And while jazz isn't the first thing I'd normally put on the stereo, something about The Epic speaks to me. It's original and fresh and contemporary, yet plays a variation of them on other pieces you may be familiar with at times. Not only is it epic in a figurative sense, but it is truly an epic in the sense of the literal word meaning-- a long story. I say that because as you listen to the album you feel as though you're hearing a story through the music which leads you on a journey from start to finish.

And on that note, I'll be heading into my studio, The Epic on the stereo, preparing to launch into another productive day to the vibes of some epic jazz.