This weekend my gypsy sister and I were reunited and it was absolutely wonderful. From late night tacos on the beach and unsuccessfully long boarding in Venice to exploring backyard gardens and the getting lost in the maze that is Pacific Design Center, nothing but positivity and inspiration has come from this reunion and I know this is only the beginning. With a BFA in Interior Design under her belt and a beautifully delicate design aesthetic, I can not wait to combine creative forces with her and produce a beautiful body of work we both can be proud of. Jennifer and I have a lot of work to do, but within it all there are memories to be made, stories to tell, foods to taste, and flowers to smell.  Now that the gypsy girls are back together, my LA adventure is guaranteed to be amazing.

My obsession with Pinterest and Etsy has inspired this crazy need for me to craft. With my "new beginnings" budget, there isn't room for buying art supplies so I've decided to work on some projects that will not only be easy and fun to one day make in a classroom but also super affordable. Found objects, scrap fabric, faith, trust, and a little pixie dust is really all I need. All my project hopefuls for this summer are inspired by my favorite toys growing up... and of course I'll be throwing a bit of poetry in the mix. Can't wait to post project updates!

After pouring over nonstop Shel Silverstein, Lewis Carroll, and Dr. Suess I've decided to dedicate how ever many moons I may need to writing the most awesome sauce kids' book. It won't be anything too fancy, most likely a random collection of shorts and doodles (like my hero Mr. Silverstein) but I most certainly want to make sure this book serves a purpose. Uplifting creativity while educating the wee ones has been my goal since day one of art school, but now that I'm out adventuring the wilds of Los Angeles, I need a way to stay relevant to my aspirations and this book may just do that. Character development has already begun and I do believe my concept is pretty legit. I can't wait to bring this book to life!!

In addition to this book of mines, I've been thinking a lot about my creative future. I most certainly intend on graduating from CCS (go peacocks!!!) and I definitely intend on receiving my teaching certification, but most of all I want to open a business. Perhaps I've mentioned it before...

I want a place where kids can come and find inspiration to achieve whatever it is they desire. My goals and dreams began within imagination, dreaming of exploring the world, reading books, creating things the way I saw it in my mind-  it shaped who I am. Sadly there are a ton of kids who are not exposed to the notion of imagination. I see more kids playing on their parents' cell phones than I do outside, enjoying the sunshine. Even in the school systems, administration are starting to lose sight of the creative needs of children. With the STEM curriculum powerhousing academia I'm sure the world is going to see some incredibly smart mathematicians, engineers, and scientists... but what about literary masters and creative geniuses... do they not play a substantial part in the development of, well, THE WORLD?!

An engineer may have programmed the computer your reading this from, but an artist designed it. As well as the chair you're sitting in, and the shirt you're wearing. Every element of a child's education is essential to their development, art AND imagination included.

Ok done ranting for now, I've got some inspiration to go gather.

Photo Credit: Kristian Chanel

I've been California Dreamin' non stop, and finally I'M HERE! Driving down the dusty and abandoned ruins of what has become the historical Route 66, I realized this journey would be an extremely impactful experience, allowing me the opportunity to see things and go places that merely peak the vast mountains of curiosity I possess. In my arrival to this new land, I made it my mission to seek out and conquer every challenge California has waiting for me. With a newly inspired desire for adventure I'm going to explore every city I meet and build with each new experience my creative portfolio, network of peers, and knowledge of the world I exist in. I can't wait for the adventures ahead!

I know that I should be packing and not ranting, but ever since I stumbled upon the banned books list I've been in a complete state of disarray. I've pulled out all my great reads from k-12th and have put them on my shelf to remind me that I must keep the spirit of imagination alive! I'm not sure I would be the camera toting urban explorer I am today if I had not spent hours emerged deeply in the pages of a book. As an only child, reading played an extremely important role in my life. Books were my best of friends and because of them I never found loneliness but instead distant lands, daring heroes (heroines as well) and adventure. My ability to form these grand images from the stories I read made me the artist I am today. Now little ones have to turn to on the television to see what the world has to offer. Its frightening to see how much we rely on technology and not the power of our own minds. We're stunting the creative growth of generations to come and I believe that to be complete poppycock. Yes I said poppycock.

I'm just going to have to hold on to these books and when I achieve my life's goal of opening an imaginarium, these literary landmarks are going to line the walls.