Where have you BEEN, Amanda??

I have been so stinkin' busy since my last post!  As the job search continues, as does my semi-unemployment.  I took an off-and-on summer nanny position that calls for 11 hours of my day.  That took up 3 weeks in May and this past week.

So what about June, hmmm?  In June, I worked for a Chicago-based gift and decor company called Enesco.  I have been working as a freelance designer for them since May, sending in sketch concepts of merchandising displays to one supervisor, and new-product packaging and displayers to another.  In June, however, I worked alongside four other designers at the Enesco showroom in America's Mart in downtown Atlanta.  We worked to create displays in a showroom FULL of brands like GUND, Foundations, Jim Shore, Vera, and new brands Cuipo and Happy Place.  Below is a picture I found on Enesco's Facebook page of the Happy Place display that I put together.

The idea behind these displays is to help a buyer envision the way that a certain brand could look in their store - to have that vision look so awesome and cutting-edge that they just HAVE to have it. America's Mart is the market to shop new merchandise and apparel in the southeast, and I feel very lucky to have had the month-long opportunity. 

I'll keep this post short and sweet, but I am going to leave you with two Froot-Shoots that I shot back in May.  There has been quite the delay in posting them! Behold, Mango and Pineapple.  (Pineapple may be my favorite layout thus far.)

Thanks for keeping up!
A   :)

A Birthday Party

As promised long ago, here are the long-awaited pictures of baby Ward's 1st birthday.

  

There was a "red wagon" theme.  It was adorable.

Little ones were all over the place.

It was a big weekend of reunions and anniversaries as well.

Mom got all her decorations from an awesome Etsy shop.

Look at him just workin' that camera.

The big sister, runnin' the show with lollipop in-hand.

We had quite a little photo-shoot with the balloons.

What a cutey-patootie.

Baby blues   c:

And, of course, there was traditional, messy cake-smashing!

Until next time. And as always, thanks for reading,

A

Coming Soon :: A Birthday Party

[If you've come to view my portfolio, see the Portfolio, Photography and Resume|Bio tabs.]

This past weekend, before high-tailing it down to Auburn University for one last roll of The Oaks, I shot pictures for a cute little 1st birthday party.  Here is a little preview of my next post.

One of my previous shots of little Ward was used on this very well-designed invitation; I was so flattered! [For privacy, I had to butcher the invitation a little, but the general idea is there.]

This is the first time I've specifically taken pictures of little babies.  Let me tell you,  it makes for some ridiculously big smiles on my face while editing.  :)

Stay tuned for more in about a week!

A

Fruit Dissections :: Some more.

[If you've come to view my portfolio, see the Portfolio, Photography and Resume/Bio tabs.]

Here are my latest installments to the Fruit Dissection Collection.  This week's Fruit-Shoot consisted of some funky fruits!  My roommate discovered a really awesome farmer's market (Buford Hwy Farmer's Market in Doraville, GA), so we went to check it out last weekend.  

It is a GIANT market with shelves upon shelves of foreign, exotic foods.  There was a Hispanic section, an Eastern European section, an Asian section, and SUPER fresh seafood (stinky!) and produce; not to mention, spices galore and an organic-health-nut section. 

Since we had never heard of this first fruit, here are some Wiki tidbits in case you haven't either.  

 The Cherimoya (also spelled Chirimoya) is native to the Andes, and can be found in Southern regions of Central and South America, South Asia and Southern California.  The fruit grows on small trees and reaches sizes between 7-15 cm long.  It is ripe when the skin is green and gives slightly to pressure, similar to an avocado. (I know this because I eat avocado now.)

The name originates from the Quechua word "chirimuya," meaning "cold seeds" because the seeds will germinate at higher altitudes.  These are REALLY big, dark seeds that are easy to remove, but there are a ton of them.  The flesh of the fruit is a creamy-white color with a mango-like texture.  There are a lot of opinions on the taste; I thought it was like a pineapple-banana mix.  Others say it tastes like a blend of papaya and peach as well or, strangely, commercial bubblegum. 

Note :: the seeds are poisonous if crushed open. Don't chew on them.  Also, extracts from the cherimoya's tree-bark can induce paralysis if injected into the blood-stream.  Who knew? 

Mark Twain called the Cherimoya "the most delicious fruit known to men."

Red Plum.

Blood Orange.

Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful Spring day!

A

Ounces and Cups and Spoons

[If you've come to view my portfolio, see the Design Portfolio, Photography or Resume/Bio tabs.]

April is here! Hopefully you all didn't fall for any ridiculously obvious April Fool's jokes. (I know I did :: Google Nose posting before US midnight - C'MON!)

Today's post is short an' sweet.  

I have seen a few graphically pleasing kitchen conversion charts, and decided to tweak one of my favorites to make it my own.  I call it "Ounces and Cups and Spoons."  Take a gander below, and let me know what you think!

As always, thanks for reading!

A

Fruit Dissections :: An On-Going Project

[If you've come to view my portfolio, see the Design Portfolio, Photography and Resume/Bio tabs.]  

March has come and gone quickly, and I've been busy busy.  Since my last post, I have been doing approximately one fruit-shoot a week.  

Fruit-shoot (/fro͞ot - SHo͞ot/) noun :: Amanda's term for a photo-shoot during which one dissects various fruits through photographic analysis.  This process often advances to hours of editing in Photoshop followed by photo-selection before creating a graphically-pleasing collage in InDesign.

This post isn't quite as complete as I had imagined it being, but I didn't want to not have any posts for the month.  Consider this an on-going project, and I will be uploading more as I have time. Enjoy! [Click thumbnails to view full-screen.]

Banana.

 

 Apple.

 

 

 Strawberry.

 

 Kiwi.

 

Keep posted either here or on my Flickr page for more! I've got pomegranate and blood orange up to bat. c:

Thanks for reading!

A

Fysh Eyewear :: A Product-Packaging Review

[If you've come to view my portfolio, see the Design Portfolio, Photography and Resume/Bio tabs.]

Way back in October, I needed new glasses.  My prescription had not been updated since 2008; driving had become scary.  I purchased my new glasses from a really cool UK-based company, Fysh.  My glasses are really modern and neat with their blue anodized aluminum frame and partially-frameless lenses, however, being the design nerd that I am, I absolutely raved about my glasses case.

First up, here are some detail shots of the the overall product. The case is lined with in-your-face, bright blue felt with an exterior of a soft, black raincoat-like material. As mentioned above, the frames are made with lightweight aluminum with even lighter plastic temples.  The temple-tips are easily adjustable (wire is visible), and the nose-pads correspond with the brand.

So, just what's so awesome about that case?  The Fysh glasses case can lay completely flat to allow for flat-pack shipment!  Why is this so beneficial?  Think of the wasted space inside that case when they are on their way from manufacturers. Ok, I'll just tell you. When they are not housing eye-wear, 18.75 cubic inches are wasted inside each case.  Now, just think how much money those manufacturers save in shipment simply because they are able to lay the cases one on top of another, packed tightly in a box. Mind-blowing, yeah? Yeah.

The two-dimensional case is made three-dimensional with a series flaps of that same in-your-face, bright blue felt. 

Overall, this packaging solution is really great.  It looks neat and modern, saves the manufacturer money in gas and boxing in shipment, and is just unique in a "Hey, look at my cool glasses case!" kind of way.  As someone who cringes when people don't recycle, my one complaint about the case is that it doesn't seem recyclable. I can't be sure unless I dissect it, but I believe that the felt is glued to the exterior.  If it isn't recyclable, it could be up-cycled for a new use. 

Check out their company website! 

Thanks for reading! 

A