Is Christmas really almost here?

Oh my gosh, with all that’s been going on I had no idea Christmas would come up so fast and 2010 is right behind it! It’s been a struggle this year, that’s for sure, and I started reflecting on what all has gone on in the last year.

Today is Rob’s birthday, he’s 28 and by the way he acts you’d think he’s 40. His father is in the hospital awaiting surgery on his heart due to his heart attack last month. It’s hard to wish someone a Happy Birthday when they are worried and stressed about their dad. But Happy Birthday Rob One of Rob’s close friends is no longer with us, by choice, and that was really unfortunate. His company is doing well, but in a recession he’s in a constant struggle to find clients/work. His family is struggling also, his mother has been switching companies, his step dad lost his job and found a new one. Just the other day Ed got hit in the head with a piece of glass (at his job) and has a large gash on his head now. His grandfather has had a major illness and multiple surgeries. Though he does have spurts of good things come through… Around this time 1 year ago Rob and I got our sweet little munchkin Stella! We drove all the way to Mulberry, Florida to get her. She’s the greatest dog ever and we don’t know what we’d do without her. She’s definitely one amazing thing we have brought into our lives and she makes us happy when we feel the worst.

Has it already been over a year since my mom found out she had cancer? That was last October I think, where has the time gone!? Since then she’s had surgery, kemo, lost her hair, grown it back, been RID of the cancer (thank goodness) and gone on a 12 day cruise to the Mediterranean with my dad as a celebration!

Jennifer, the younger sister, is almost finished with school!!! And she’s got a steady boyfriend, that the family has actually met! That’s a first! She’s gonna be out in the real world soon, with a job, a man, a cat, and a dog… I hope you’re ready. If you’re busy trying to move up in the world, don’t let some one grab onto those ankles and pull you down, and that means anyone.

Kristin, the older sister, has gotten married and is currently on the honeymoon in Canada! Oh my gosh, one of us is married. That’s a strange feeling… It’s like we’ve been sister’s all our lives, we’ve had boyfriends and stuff but never actually gotten married. It just seems weird to think that one of us is starting our own family, not that we’ll lose her or anything, but that she’s stemmed off on our family tree. No babies in sight anytime soon, when that happens then I’ll really be freaking out!

Best friend Amy has left her job at an advertising agency and is now working at ThemeNaps with me!!! We met in college and it was like best friends at first sight. I didn’t know her for more than a day and we were already on a trip together with some other friends and after that the rest is history. We worked together right out of college at an advertising agency in Decatur. She left there before I did and went to the agency she just left. I left and FINALLY found a job at JerseyNaps as a sales assistant. And now it’s ThemeNaps and I brought Amy along for the ride!! We’re so excited she’s here.

Other best friend Liz, from college – Amy, Liz and I are the three musketeers – is working down in Newnan at the Times Herald still. But now she’s branched out into blogging for a huge Pro-Life advocate, and loving it. She’s become extremely active in her church which she loves. And broke off a troubled 3.5 year relationship to find out who she really is. She’s overcome alot and in my opinion is growing into herself. I’m proud of her

Jessica has gotten married and had a baby!?! Jessica was always my city-fashionista-goin’-out-to-have-fun-gorgeous-skinny friend who I used to go out with A TON! I love her, she was friends with Rob before I met him. She was basically my gateway to Rob She hooked up with a previous boyfriend and found love, a ring, and a pacifier! She’s moved out of her sweet center-of-the-city apartment and moved into the no-man’s-land of North Georgia. Now she’s a stay at home mother and wife. What a change… I think this was the most difficult one for me to comprehend.

Me? I’ve been working, and I don’t just mean at my job. I’ve feel like I’ve been the glue that’s been holding alot of things together, especially Rob. It’s difficult because sometimes when I feel like I’m frazzled and stressed I have no one to be my glue because I’m so good at being other people’s glue. But at the end of this year I’ll have successfully completed another year at ThemeNaps. Released a new catalog with new products and new marketing and new advertising. Adopted a dog, Pearle, and decided she wasn’t the right match for Rob and I. Found her a new home with Rob’s dad, which she LOVES. Bills have increased, added on, and multiplied, when the income stays the same. I did, however, get an awesome new camera which I’ve had fun using since the day I got it. I’m sure there’s lots more going on around me, and plenty of good things, but I can’t think of them now.

I am looking forward to seeing my whole family on New Years though. Rob won’t be there, because he needs to be with his dad, but my Grandma, aunts and uncles, cousins, my parents, not my sisters, and everyone else will be there! My favorite part is the silly santa game, it’s the typical white elephant gift exchange, bring a present worth $10 and pick a number. You know. But for some reason, I can NEVER guess what people are gonna do! It gets so interesting because people start stealing items that you never would have thought they wanted! And then the person they stole it from steals someone else’s item and it goes around and around. AND it’s so funny to see what $10 can get you! Based on the diversity of our family, the presents are really crazy different! I love it. Having a big family like that is so much fun… and it’s crazy seeing everyone change. It feels like just yesterday I saw my cousin Matthew dancing around in his batman pajamas. And now he’s almost done with college!?

I feel like I’m in an in between stage where I haven’t fully “stemmed off the family tree” but I’m almost there. I am not hugely successful but I’m definitely on my way there. I’m not exactly sure who I am but I’m trying to find my way there.

Oh my what a pretty dress you have!

Ok, so I took a second out of my day to check out photos from lasts nights AMA awards. What were the costume designers thinking? Was everyone on drugs that day? I understand the movement towards “futuristic” and what can we do that’s completely “different” but GEEZ! Are you kidding me?

Rihanna, who I think is a great singer, very talented and I love her music, but what’s with the stripes? Is that outfit seriously going to determine whether or not I understand what your point with the song? Does that outfit completely translate what you’re singing about? Because if it does, where’s the cord for me to pull the blinds shut? I just don’t get why on earth someone would think this is an amazing outfit that really adds to the effect… Maybe it does and I just don’t know what I’m talking about… but I’m getting blinds, candy cane, horizontal jail stripes, fruit stripe gum… is that right?

Also, Jennifer Lopez, her dancers and dancing had something to do with boxing. And this was one of the outfits she wore during her performance.

It looks like electrical tape and aluminum foil. And you can’t tell but she’s wearing boxing boots most of the time and it’s just a mish-mash of crazy weird looks. Who decided to make her hips look GIGANTIC and thrown in a pair of white panty hose because her legs need to be 10 shades whiter than the rest of her skin. This outfit almost looks like armor… and maybe that’s what she’s going for. But is it necessary for the song to make sense? It must be.

Adam Lambert, P.S. I am not nor will I ever be a fan of American Idol, got to have a big performance last night. And apparently his costume designers got tips from J-Lo and Rihanna’s because they also used the electrical tape. Except this time it was for the backup dancer. But ya know that is a kickin’ outfit… where can I find one? And that sparkly suit Adam, ah-ma-zing… I’m being sarcastic and I hope you can feel it. What does that guy’s electrical tape outfit add to the dimension of this performance? I know the song is about you being bad, but does that mean having bad taste?

Alicia Keys had a more “normal” looking outfit, but it really looks like it was plucked straight out of the 80’s. A sweater made of gold chains. Let me say that again, a sweater… made of gold chains. Let that marinate for a minute…

I’m just really not even sure what it is about that “jacket” that I’m so horrified by, but I am not in lovin’ it. Maybe it’s the big bulgy leather pieces that hold it together. Or maybe it’s how her hair looks like a bad toupee. I don’t know… the black body-tard is a miss too. The whole shebang ain’t cuttin’ it.

Now for the finale and the always weird, Lady Gaga. She makes it her mission to rule out blue jeans and t-shirt fashions. She will never be caught dead wearing that stuff, PFH! Who wants to be normal when you can look like this!

 

 

 

Why in the world wouldn’t that be your first choice on what to wear to work? I mean it’s classic, nude colored, white details and just simply stunning. Not to mention that the big white pipes light up! I mean come on!!! It screams Band-aid! Do they sell that in Target yet? How many colors does this come in? Oh, but don’t forget the matching headpiece, that way I can’t tell where your face is, or for that matter the rest of your body.

 

 

 

 

 

What happened to just wearing a nice dress or something? I see a trend though, don’t you? Barely any clothing at all… Isn’t that called “slutty”… but now it’s fashion? Wait… did I say “clothing” I meant electrical tape and Band-aids. Wow, if this is fashion, I’m way off base by wearing a sweater… made of cotton. “Roooooob, do we have some electrical tape?”

All you ever do is work…

That’s what it seems like lately… Eesh… I’ve been getting to work by 7:30am and leaving around 5:30 and bringing the computer home with me and working at home til around 10 basically every night. Including during the weekends!

But it seems like some of that work may be paying off! I found out the other day that 13 of my personal designs will be released in January!!! That’s so exciting! I can’t wait to see them all printed up!

Besides that… Rob’s dad is doing well, he is going to have surgery in December and we’re praying that it will go well. He’s actually having surgery on Rob’s birthday… which should make for an interesting day. Speaking of Rob’s birthday, I have to get him a present… and I’m still not sure what to get. I have lots of ideas floating around but I guess it’s time to start finalizing them cause it’s quickly approaching!! It really doesn’t help that I’m working all day and night, and I barely have time to concentrate on what I’m wearing that day much less a birthday present. Maybe he’d like some ThemeNaps? HAHAHAHA there’s no way I could get off that easy… right?

Christmas is also fast approaching and I now I gotta think about what I’m getting everyone else too! Ahhhhhhh! The holidays are such a hassle… Maybe it’ll be ThemeNaps all around…

Life

Sorry I haven’t written lately on the blog, but life has been happening! Let’s see, work is starting to pick up big time. This point in the year is my busiest “season” because new things have to happen. New catalog has to be made for 2010, which needs a new look. So gotta come up with a new design for that… but even before I come up with that the new designs for January 2010 release have to be decided AND most importantly designed! So designing new ThemeNaps for release is happening, along with design approvals, color approvals, officially putting each design into the template properly. And though that doesn’t sound like much, it’s SO MUCH work, you just have no idea. THEN once designs are picked out and put into the template, I have to get the images prepared for the catalog, the “beauty shot” that goes in to show the napkin in use. Then the product shots have to be created, these are just a folded version of the product, and these are used for the website, the catalog, and further on in magazines and such. Once those are done, barcodes have to be created for each of the new products. Then everything gets collected into the new catalog design. “Beauty shots”, product shots, barcodes, and the actual “design” of the catalog. Which is a good bit,  plus it’s gotta be perfect, because it’ll be in use everywhere all year long.

Speaking of time, all of these things are on a timeline! The catalog is going to be released January of 2010, so that means they need to begin to get shipped about 2 weeks before January. The catalog takes about a week for printing, binding and preparation for shipping. So I have to finish the catalog by the 2nd week in December, if my math is correct. Which means all the designs/kinks must be worked out BY December in order for me to be able to get everything ready for the catalog. Which means I have to finish ALL the new products and the NEW “top secret” collection BY the end of November. And what day is it already? November 12th? That doesn’t even include the fact that Thanksgiving is this month, so that knocks off 2 days! That leaves me 10 DAYS (not including weekends) to work out all the new designs!!! P.S. there are going to be approximately 30-40 new designs released. AND THEY ARE JUST CONCEPTS AT THIS POINT!!!

Most likely I’ll be working weekends and long hours, like I did last year. Because it’s just got to get done. I didn’t even mention the fact that new ads and marketing materials have to be made, sales sheets, promotional materials, price sheets, signs for tradeshows, web splash pages, etc. So like I said, this is my busy season.

Also, now on a more serious note, Rob, the bf of almost 3 years, has had something happen. His father had a heart attack on Tuesday morning around 1:30am. Rob’s mother showed up at our house at 2:30am Tuesday, ringing the doorbell because no one could get a hold of Rob since his phone was turned off. (Rob’s parents are divorced, but still very close) She had quickly packed some clothes and was ready to take Rob up to Athens, where his dad was, once she told him. Rob’s dad is a Major in the police force, and was at a conference in Athens, GA when it happened. As soon as the words came out of his mother’s mouth, Rob ran upstairs and packed a bag. They headed up to Athens at that moment. I won’t get into details, but he seems to be doing alright. He’s currently in ICU and they are waiting to transfer him to a different hospital for open heart surgery.

So like I said, life is happening, and I can’t keep up…but I’m trying.

Design is so foreign to me…

Last night as I was scrolling through one of my favorite blogs, Abduzeedo, that’s about art and design, I couldn’t help but think, “practically all of these AWESOME designers are foreign!?” They are all from these sweet places like Greece, Italy, Germany, London, etc… and I’m JEALOUS!

I started to think, maybe being from a foreign country with completely different ideals, teachings and thought processes makes you a completely different, and in my opinion better, designer. They are amazing! I can’t even begin to think about how absolutely incredible their work is. And more than that, how in the WORLD did they come up with it?!? It baffles me to no end the incredible artwork of these foreign designers. It makes me want to be a foreigner! BUT WAIT, what if I went over to Europe and designed? I would be considered a foreign designer then, right? Would it make me better? I wonder if it’s the fact that over in Europe you are literally surrounded by collages of old master paintings, unique drawings, intricate architecture and incredibly futuristic sculptures. It’s just a totally different feel over there.

I can really only speak for some of Italy, because I’ve been there, but I felt like a different person. Walking down cobblestone streets with old buildings on each side, huge doors with gigantic lion head knockers, the sound of vespa engines all around and then before you know it you’re in front of a gelato shop and to your right is the Pantheon. If you haven’t been to the Pantheon it’s huge, just so you know. And everyone’s just gathered around this old fountain sitting enjoying gelato and chatting. It’s hard not to partake. I think living a life like that would make me a completely different designer.

Here in Atlanta, it’s stressful. Traffic, stupid people, not enough time in the day to get everything done. In Italy it was like you couldn’t move slow enough. No one hustled, no one bustled. They just had their own pace. And dinner is supposed to be 4 hours long, with TONS of chatting and wine drinking, no rush from the waiter since had no where to be, and neither did we. I just can’t wrap my head around living like that, and how different the thought process for design would be. I’m ready to move overseas… what? I just think I should test this theory… that’s all…

You remind me of…

As I was working today on a design I heard “Oh when you walk by every night talkin’ sweet and lookin’ fine, I get kinda hectic insiiiiide” come on the radio and I immediately start singing along. But as I’m singing a picture forms in my mind of riding down 85 in Greenville, with my hand out the window as if I’m swimming through the wind. The sunroof is open, this song is blasting loud and my best friend Melissa and I are screaming the song at the top of our lungs. Every single time I hear Mariah Carey or Dave Matthews band I almost instantaneously think of Melissa. It’s just one of those things that I can’t explain, but I love when it happens. Unfortunately, Melissa died in a car accident while I was in college, and I don’t get to make new memories with her and Mariah, but I’m in love with the fact that I remember her spontaneously.

After this happened today I started thinking of other things that spontaneously remind me of others, and I really loved how random they turned out to be. I think it’s just amazing what the mind stores and then throws out at you when you’re not expecting it.

For example, everytime I see Reese’s Puffs cereal I think of my friend Liz. This one time in college she ate Reese’s Puffs cereal straight out of the box with a spoon, no milk. She was wearing a Sponge Bob Squarepants shirt, it was red, and pajama pants, with a pink trucker hat. And she had showered and dried her hair, and she has naturally spiral curly hair… which if you’re a woman, means it was all frizzed out like one of those Fructis commercials for “dry hair.” It was an amazing site.

When I see a frog I think of my Grandma Elliott. It’s such a strange thing to think of… but I just remember sitting in the country club ordering lunch. We loved to go there, they had a buffet OR a menu, and they had really really good desserts. I had to have been young because I don’t remember a whole lot about the scene, just that my Grandma ordered frog legs. It was the first time I’d ever heard of someone actually ordering frog legs. I don’t remember if I tasted them, or what anyone else got that day… just that she ordered frog legs.

When I make spaghetti for Rob, I definitely think of my mother. Moms always make the best food, and I don’t know what the extra ingredient is, but every sandwich, soup or spaghetti tastes better when a mom makes it. My mom would make her own spaghetti sauce and it was ALWAYS delicious. It was nice and saucy, just the way I like it, and there was no meat. Which I find nowadays to be a rarity, everyone (especially Rob) wants meat in their sauce. Mom’s spaghetti had vegetables and tomatos and the noodles were just perfect, and I wish I could make that sauce… but it’s a mom thing.

I have this old Minolta camera sitting on my desk right beside me, and each time I see it I think of my dad. He’s had this camera ever since I could remember, and he was always snappin’ pictures with it. I think it’s turned out some of the better photos our family has ever seen. For those in the “new age” with digital everything, this Minolta is completely manual. You have to adjust every setting before taking the photos…and my dad did it successfully for as long as I can recall. We have some great photos, from baby pictures, to birthday tea parties, painting parties, graduations, grandparents, vacations across the country… They were all great, and they were all because of that camera and my dad.

I saw a girl the other day, I think in a restaurant, and she raised her hand while saying something and I noticed that her pinky finger was kinked, like it was permanently bent. Immediately my Grandpa Mangum came to mind. His pinky finger was kinked too, and I know it’s probably got a cool story behind it, but I can’t remember it. I just see him sitting at his kitchen table, the paper laid out flat, with his glasses on. One hand is holding his head up and his other hand is on the table with that kinked finger. And if I said, “Grandpa” he’d ignore me… until I said it 3 more times… then he’d look up at me with that smile, it always made me feel like he had a joke or something funny to say. And most times he did.

How far is too far?

In college, I remember my professor constantly nagging me to push myself further with my artwork. But I wanted to ask, “how far??” That was never something I understood… How do you know when to keep going, or when to stop? Especially with artwork. Inevitably artists are never completely “satisfied” with anything, and think they could make small changes or keep pushing it “farther” but when do you stop and say, “ok, I’m done with this”?

I’ve run into this dilemma again recently because I’m creating the new designs for ThemeNaps 2010 release, and while I work on each piece I think to myself, “is this done?” or “what else do I need to do?” or even, “what else can I do?” I’ll use the topic of birthday designs, since I’ve been working on those lately.

It’s happened a few times now that I’ve put down a design and come back to it the next day and changed things about it… maybe the background, a color or even a major design change. I wind up sending it to my boss and saying, “here’s the new birthday design.” And then the next day I pick it up again, change it and re-send it saying, “ok here’s the new new birthday design.”

It’s obnoxious because I’m sure it’s a pain in the @ss to keep getting these files saying basically, “here it is”, and then the next day I have a new version! I annoy myself because I keep doing it! Why can’t I just hang on to it until I’m done!? But when am I done? That’s what I can’t figure out. I keep thinking I’m done and then I want to change it almost at the same instant I say that. There are sometimes I know exactly when to stop, and others I just keep pushing and pushing and pushing and it seems like it’s going nowhere. How do I subconsciously, or even consciously, make that decision? With the designs I keep pushing why can’t I get to a stopping point? And with the designs I’ve stopped, do I need to keep pushing them?

I’ve heard many times, “I love your job!!” or “I wish I had your job, it looks like so much fun!” but seriously it’s REALLY difficult. I have to make decisions based on the future… so basically what I’m saying is that I’m psychic. Really, I have to look into my crystal ball and decide: what colors are good for next year, what style is “happening” for next year,  what do people want next year, what will people buy next year, what patterns are gonna be cool next year, are patterns even cool next year? Then once I think I’ve got a handle on those questions, I have to keep in mind who’s buying this, white people, black people, spanish people, english, japanese, germans, housewives, party planners, working mom’s, sorority sisters, tailgaters, penuckle players, shop owners and celebrators. This one birthday design needs to appeal to pretty much all those people and more. Not only that, but I need to create 6 of these new birthday designs!

It’s so much more than what I’m telling you, or that you could even imagine… You just see purple and yellow. But it was a process of: what purple will be popular in 2010? Bright purple or maybe purple with a hint of pink, or more of a bluish purple? What about lavender? What about dark purple? What should go around that purple? Yellow is purple’s complement, but if it’s a pinky purple then a yellowy green is more appropriate, or if it’s bluish purple then yellowy orange is better. We’ll go with a medium shade of bluish purple, so that means using the yellowy orange, which needs to be brighter so that visually the tones mix well. But is that bright yellowy orange going to be popular in 2010??

Is it more than just a dahlia? Maybe it’s your personality…

I’ve discovered my new favorite flower. The dahlia. They’re gorgeous! And I don’t know how I never noticed them before… It’s probably because I never really saw them, it’s not like someone would shove some flowers in my face and say “Hey! These are dahlias!”

I don’t recall them getting too much “exposure”, but lately it seems like every wedding florist is using them! I’ve never really been a “get me flowers” kind of girl, so it isn’t like I’ve had lots of bouquets to look at and pine over which flower is my favorite. Plus I’m very non-traditional… roses just don’t do it for me. I actually had Rob memorize that I preferred calla lillies instead of “roses”. And he’s done well and now unfortunately he’ll have to remember another flower… the dahlia!

I just love the way they constantly look like they are bursting open, and their colors… they are so bright and can be so emotional. From a soft off white with red flecks that makes me feel peaceful, to a moody dark red that makes me feel sensual. The bright pink just makes me want to smile, and the orange makes me feel warm… if that’s even an emotion. I really don’t know how I never noticed them before… but now I love them.

I believe the things you like are a direct reflection on who you are as a person. That seems like an obvious statement, but really think about what it is you like and if it relates to who you are. I, for example, constantly experiment. Meaning I strive to find something new, whether it’s with food, with drinks, with art, with clothes, pretty much anything. Because I prefer something that’s not the norm, or has never been done… or just isn’t “typical”, and I believe that’s a big part of who I am. I’m very different… I get told alot that I’m not easy to categorize – I’m not really a girly girl, but I like shoes, purses and clothes. I’m not a tomboy, but I like football, baseball and using cool new tools to build stuff. I’m not a chef, but I like to cook, try new tastes, take risks eating new things, and exposing other people to the great new foods I’ve found. I think it’s also pretty evident when you look at what dog I chose – a dapple dachshund. Though there are a bunch out there, it’s just not “typical” and EVERYWHERE we go someone asks if she’s mixed, or what “color” she is. I had never seen dapple doxies either, until one day when I came across some random picture of one and I was hooked. I searched specifically for a dapple breeder because I didn’t want the normal looking dachshund.

I think dahlia’s play into this “a-typical-ness” [if that's even english...] too. The name itself is unusual and the flower is not like anything thing else I’ve seen. It’s definitely no rose, tulip or daisy. I like being unique, and I like unique things.

Then again, I think it all stems from the name my parents gave me… Lezlee. Who spells it phonetically like that? And why can’t anyone pronounce it correctly?? Without even thinking about it, I can tell you how my name is pronounced 9 times out of 10, Leezlee. [????Does the z really throw them off that much????] But you gotta agree, it’s unique.

Baby Huddy

One of my very best friends, Jessica, had her baby yesterday afternoon at about 1pm. Hudson Reese Harris is now officially my first “best friend’s baby”! Hah! It’s crazy to see her with a little baby, but I know she’ll be a great mommy.

I went and visited her, JC and Hudson in the hospital last night and got to snap a few photos.

Right after the birth, this was a picture her mom took. Happy mom and dad!

Hudson Reese Harris!

Wake up little Huddy!

Mommy and baby…

Smile Huddy!

Daddy and Huddy

And a closeup…

That hat was made for Huddy! By Jess’ Great Grandma I think…

What a cutie, already a womanizer I can tell. He’s 6.3lbs and 19in long, and soooo tiny! I’m sure he’ll grow up fast, and hopefully we can get some good pictures of him along the way.

Congrats Jessica and JC!

Invading a Store Near You!

I got 4 stories this weekend of how someone I know had seen ThemeNaps in a store recently! Two of my best friends emailed me pictures because they came across them while they were out just this weekend!

Amy was in Blowing Rock, NC when she came across these!

Jess was in Cracker Barrel in Calhoun, GA with her sister when they spotted these!

How crazy! AND while I was at my sister’s wedding in Hot Springs, NC my aunt’s had seen them at home! Aunt Julie saw them in Texas at a Hallmark store while shopping for a birthday card. And my Aunt Jeanie saw them in a candle store in Tennessee!

I think it’s hilarious that people are coming across them in random places. I tell them, “it’s just a little reminder of me.” But it’s funny to see how excited everyone gets when they see them and they know the designer! I love it! I get excited when I walk into a store and see them, it’s like I want to shout that “I MADE THESE!”

Let me know if you see them out somewhere!! I love to hear the story.