October is by far my favorite month. I'm crazy about spooky stuff. Last weekend was the perfect fall/halloween weekend. We FINALLY got some of our Halloween decorations out/up for our big party on the 26th. I want to turn my house into a ridiculous stereotypical haunted house with strobe lights, creepy spider webs, ghost sounds and all. But I know that's not realistic to live in for an entire month. haha. So we'll be slowly adding to it. : )

A couple years ago in my first apartment we went all out. Hung spider webs from the ceiling, made a huge black yarn web on the wall, shit was glow in the dark, it was insane! I miss it!

Last weekend we also went to The Great Jack'O'Lantern Blaze in Hudson, NY! 5,000 carved pumpkins! Oh man.

On our way home we took a pit stop at Ritter's for some indian corn, a pumpkin, and cider - they have theee best apple cider. But that didn't last too long.

The remainder of the month will be spent watching scary movies and adding to my plethora of halloween decorations to prep for our big party. Just wait until you see the dogs' costumes : )

 ~ Samantha

Chicago

A couple friends and I just went on a trip to Chicago for Riot Fest. We went with the intention of being spontaneous and not having any real plans other than the concert. Let me tell you - it was amazing. It was nice knowing there was no pressure to go and do certain things and stay as long as possible to get everything in. We left on Friday early morning and got there around 3pm. (It's close to a 13 hour drive for us with pit stops) It was a great time. We hung around the hotel getting ready for Friday night - grabbed some food then just crashed. Come Saturday it was by far the best outdoor fest I've ever been too. Weather had a lot to do with it. We couldn't have asked for a better day. Other outdoor events I've gone to like Warped Tour and such have been in the dead middle of summer and it was always too ridiculously hot to really enjoy what was going on. We were bummed at first because we thought we may have picked the wrong day. The closer the event came Sunday's lineup kept looking more and more appealing, but as the day went on and we realized there was way more to do than just watching bands it was perfect. The event was part carnival too with side show acts and everything and I'm nutty about carnivals! On top of that - seeing Blink-182 has been on my bucket list since I was 13. My preteen and teenage self was stoked.

and we went to chicago music exchange which was awesome :)

~ Samantha

a VERY happy new year

So much to come this year!
2012 is going to be the perfect year for DOING rather than just SAYING i'm going to do something. I always have a million projects planned, but very few of them actually happen for me. Well, my priorities are all going to be shifting this year.

Resolution 1: WAKE UP EARLIER THAN 10AM.
I can never seem to have a good sleep schedule. WELL, that is all about to change. 7AM is the goal. 8AM is what's happening now... sooo close!

Resolution 2: Focus more on who I am and what I like to do.
I've always liked trying new things.... too many new things. It's time to narrow it all down.

Resolution 3: Make my 'brand' clear.
As a designer who's goal is to represent others, I am able to see from the outside view, other people's businesses, companies, & what they stand for. But, it is definitly a lot harder to do with yourself! I like so many things, and can see myself 'being' a million different people. So this year, you will know EXACTLY who I am and what I stand for. : )

Resolution 4: ORGANIZE
Though I have a lot planned out all ready, many of those plans are written on napkins, the backs of envelopes, & sheets of computer paper. I started this resolution already, by making my own organizer. It's perfect! All the pages are exactly what I want them to be. I'm picky about the layouts of my calenders and needed an easy way to see what deadlines are coming up. Instead of carrying around a sketchbook, a notebook, and a calender, now I only have 1 mini binder! With this, my already 9 pound purse saves 5 pounds in books to carry around!
*This is also a plan for the upcoming year, because I'm sure I'm not the ONLY one who needs an organizer : )

Resolution 5: Blog More
I started getting my internet self out there last year and had some OK exposure. However, the end of last semester did not want to sync with what I was doing. But with a better organized life and this big swoop of motivation (not to mention no liberal arts) I have a good feeling!

Resolution 6: Do more craft shows
I just really like craft shows! You meet great artists and crafters. Plus, you can physically acquaint yourself with the people who want to do business with you.

Resolution 7: Don't get lazy.
A lot of the time I find myself so overwhelmed with trying to keep everything in my life current, that I just stop. I feel like I need a break, so I take that break.... and never go back. Well not this time! It's going to be a tough year, but hopefully a satisfying one. After all, it might be our last ; )

4 days into the new year, and so far everything is going good! I've started the first major steps in some things I want to release (which is always the hardest). My to do list is dwindling, and my sketchbook is filling!

Over the next week or so, there will be lots of new and exciting (hopefully for you, but DEFINITLY for me) products and ideas posted. LOTS more items in my etsy shop & some updated design work.

I hope everyone is as excited about the new year as I am. And I wish every one of you good luck! I feel like this is a big year, for a lot more reasons than what I notice. It's just a generally good feeling of growth and experience. Every year older I get, I notice the more opportunity that is available. My major goal for this year, is make something big happen : )

Here's to a great year!