Thursday, November 26, 2009

i could die trying......

BUT I DON'T CARE!
where have all the photographs gone? where has my life gone?
yes, it's been a rough year in MANY aspects, and i'm still NOT through the woods, but i WILL get this back. i spent tonight going through all the photographs of the past year and even some of the year before. i haven't been shooting randomness lately. my life is too fast and too rushed and too much. but it's changing and my business is changing and i will put a stop to this crazy runaround. i love my job. i do. but i need to love my life more. it's my business and i say how it goes right? i need to force myself to break! i will get this back. i will get this back. i will get this back
EVEN IF I DIE TRYING! it's WORTH IT!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Something's gotta give...


....and something has GOT to change!
there is so much to tell and so much i want to write, there always is. i can't explain it since i can barely keep it straight in my own head.
but it's time to Hit The Switch (sweet bright eyes song)

get ready everybody, big changes coming for 2010.
place your holiday orders sooner than later- pretty please!
it will help to keep me sane unlike last year.

hope to be hearing from you guys soon.....
GRSG out!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Missing the Mark?

i just want to hit the center of that nautical black and red star!
am i missing the mark? i've got too many ideas and i'm feeling awfully indecisive.
it's fall, and i LOVE fall.
but
i sit in my office with 5 pieces of luggage in front of me
my pen in hand
and i grab one then put it back, grab another
put it back
get up and get a drink of water, come back
my 5 pieces of luggage.
grab one
put it back
grab another
and repeat.
JUST DRAW RACHEL, JUST DRAWWWWWWWW!

Friday, October 2, 2009

EveryTHING All the TiMe



here is a random video i made. it's abrupt, choppy and the speed is increased. i think it is a good representation of how i've been feeling lately and perhaps gives a peek inside my crazy mind when it comes time to draw........
anyways, that's pretty much it. most all of my artwork is all copyrighted now. circle trip keep your mitts off!

Saturday, September 19, 2009

MiXeD TAPE!


hey friends! it's been a while i know- i am NOT the worlds best blogger. but i do have some exciting news to share. i am going to be in Poppytalk Handmade's MIXED TAPE Market from sept 21- oct 16! i am super excited and super over-worked- which, as always, is my very own fault! i guess it's better than having nothing to do but i need to learn how to not eat, sleep and breathe luggage and art..... nice try rachel.

i remember making mixed tapes. getting one tape to record onto another and getting the timing just right between songs. those were some good times. all set up in front of all of my fathers black music equipment. 2 tape decks a record player an equalizer? i didn't know how half of the stuff worked but i knew how to make a mixed tape. i'd make them on the weekends. they would fill up my time. and the music would fill up my head and heart and take me away from all the pain and confusion of growing up. music = escape.

i couldn't ask to be in a cooler market. it's called mixed tape for cryin out loud! sweet. excited. overwhelmed and taking an airplane trip soon. to gather some of my friend's ashes and his camera.
october will be here before we know it. i will say hello to michigan for you. i will take many many pictures.

until next time.....

Saturday, September 5, 2009

THIS IS HOW YOU ARE


tonight i went rollerblading while my brother rode his trick bike bike beside me. we both had our ipods on and the summer night here in florida was just right. the air blew off the water in every kind of perfect way as the sun set. i wanted to be 14 again but then i didn't. i didn't want to be 29 either. i was listening to yes, i will admit it, alanis morissette's jagged little pill. you know when you hear songs for the first time at a new age? like where was Mary Jane when i was young? i knew it was sad but nothing in it rang too true as the angst and screaming we could all belt out on our way to school or in my best friends basement.
there was this line in the song.....
"Are you happy
Please don't censor your tears"
it just kept playing on a loop in my head.
i don't know why and i'm not going to analyze it. i'm so sick of analyzing these days. i don't like to brush things under the rug but when you feel like emotional garbage and you know you just have to wait it out, well, what's the point in analyzing? it just makes the awfulness more severe.
emotions.

i feel out of breath, i feel like i'm fading.
can't i just stay in my brother's room watching tv shows on dvd, drawing, ignoring all of etsy and why this and why that?
i think i want to walk right off this chair.....


Sunday, August 30, 2009

ESCAPE & COLOR my WORLD

when Cat of POLARITY on ETSY
asked if she could use some of my photographs for her Etsy Artists Locket series i was pretty much blown away.
honored, yes, HONORED indeed.

she has put together 2 photographs and a word to make a genius, SMART and completely unique piece of art n' jewelry

this first series above is called
ESCAPE
one of the coolest things is that Cat has chosen some of my most favorite photos and given them a whole new meaning. i can think of nothing better than when another artist finds ways to show you more art in your own artwork!
i love how much meaning a word can hold. sounds rather obvious but if you stop and think- really stop and think of all the meanings for a word...
STOP, think about it.
pretty mind-blowing.

the next series is called:
COLOR my WORLD





it's been another wild and scary week for me so i lack the ability to type much more.
thank you for this Cat.

one of the things i love about Etsy is the community within. i am amazed how Cat has brought EVERY SINGLE type of artist together with these lockets.
she's a BRILLIANT GENIUS & a MAD COOL SCIENTIST
all rolled into one!
we are lucky to have her.
please check out her other RAD shop:
UNCORKED on ETSY

(random thought for the blog: i hate the feuding. really, i do. i hate to hate. vengence is nasty. i am both a victim AND a culprit. i'm not proud to say it, but it's true.)

Friday, August 28, 2009

Levi Weaver PART COMPLETE

DONE DONE AND DONE!

JUST SOME PHOTOS OF THE WORKING IN PROGRESS

ABOVE PHOTO SELF-EXPLANATORY

HAPPY TOURING LEVI!
and for everyone else:
find out if Levi is coming to a city near you
- HE WILL BE ADDING DATES FREQUENTLY SO BE SURE TO CHECK BACK OFTEN- it will be well worth your money:)
CHECK HERE

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Levi Weaver MERCH Case Part BEGIN

so far, SO fun.......

after this next part i had to put the utensils down because my forearm was pulsating and my hand was frozen like the claw.....


artwork to commence this evening with the appropriate music T.B.D.
have you still not listened to Levi's music????
get to it, go on now
i will make it sooooooo super easy
JUST CLICK HERE!

Thursday, August 20, 2009

MERCH Case Part Levi Weaver


second merch case is being made....
and i couldn't more excited.
i cannot remember how i got to talking with levi. it was quite some time ago- at least 5 years i want to say??? and yes, it was over the internet. random but not so much any more. i've watched him over the years make phenomenal music and tour with other talented musicians- imogen heap is the one that comes to the front of my mind. he's unique and one of my favorite things about his music is that it cannot be put into a genre- at least i refuse to believe so. he is folk, electronic, indie, dare i say bluegrass? i can't explain his music but it's the kind that moves and has a somewhat magical quality to it. you guys know i can gush about things i tuly enjoy but i will bite my tongue and

STRONGLY ENCOURAGE you to listen to his music- i am STUCK STUCK STUCK on
"We're Tornadoes When We Dance"
LISTEN HERE
soooo, moving forward......
i suggested my making him a merch case and he was game.
we got a rough mock-up and drawing shall begin very soon

in the words of Levi
"it's going to be SHARP!"
it's also going to be RAD!
psyched?
who me?
HECK YEAH I AM

GRSG out kids!
(photos of case in progress to come)

Monday, August 10, 2009

FALL PREVIEW GOODNESS

yes, that's 1 red wallet w/ ladybugs and a set of mushrooms:), 1 orange pebbled soft side samsonite suitcase with crow and skeleton keys, 1 olive green featherlite train case w/ dandelions on it and 1 caramel brown soft as butter purse with a crow on it!


next up we have 1 soft as butter sand colored purse w/ 2 small mushrooms on it, 1 dark cranberry messenger w/ a white leaf, 1 cocoa brown messenger purse with a black octopus and 1 cherry red purse w/ a bow and kaleidoscope flowers!

words cannot express these next 2. THEY MATCH- THEY ARE EUROPEAN VINTAGE AND THEY ARE IN MINT CONDITION! 1 is cherry red and the other is jet black!

some plain pieces for your consideration.... 1 caramel brown vegan portfolio briefcase, 1 sweet olive green vintage bag that says "brendan tours" on both sides, 1 navy blue messenger perfect for school and 1 mustard yellow giant suitcase with orange and yellow stripes, 2 wheels and a pull handle!

above is 4 shots of an ANTIQUE Seafoam Circular Suitcase. A most fabulous photo prop, use for home decor & storage. it's ABSOLUTELY Stunnnnnnning:)

a few more blank pieces for your consideration.... 1 cherry messenger purse, 1 dark marine blue messenger with a marble to it & a buckle, 1 cobalt blue messenger from samsonite and 1 cherry red amelia earhart tote.

Remember, this is just a preview- my garage is jammmmmmmmm packed with much more blank cases and bags so shoot me a convo on etsy or an email here:
GetReadySetGo1980@gmail.com
let's get ready to Kick off this new year with a rockin travel BANG!
later my friends:)

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Back 2 School ALREADY???

seriously??? it's august???
my husband teaches honors physics and he goes back august 18th. everywhere i go there are college sales for the dorm room going on. summer always flies too fast.
the goal over august is to continue to stock up the shop! the goal and focus of my blog will be to show you ways to use luggage for school and everyday life! if you're a teacher, a homeschool mother, a freshman. sophomore, junior or senior at BOTH college AND high school! a crafter? do you own your own etsy shop? i'm here to help with your storage solutions and add some fun and personality to your spaces and for when you travel.
so check back often....... here comes fallllllllll
GRSG OUT friends!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

How 2 Let Go....

there is no way to let go of someone you love without pain.
it's with you all the time.
when it's morning
and your bare feet hit the cold of your kitchen floor for the first time that day
and you think of coffee- you think of the last time you got coffee together.
a song plays, the lyrics float through your head, the photograph hanging above your desk, the cover of a dvd you saw together in the theater. it's there when you roll over in bed and without realizing it
you are stuck
because you remember...
you remember that he's not there any more.
that you can't call and tell him the funny thing that happened when you went to the store at 2am, or the fall you took over your own 2 feet because you were so excited about something ridiculous. you can't make fun of your quirks with him any more, or laugh at the weird habits you both still have even though you live thousands of mile apart.
and you lose your breath.
"and i'm fractured from the fall. and i wanna go home.... "
-ryan adams-
as many of you know, last week my dear friend david passed away. at the young age of only 29 he was taken from so many people.
we met at age 11 and became fast friends. he was the boy who first held my hand, who gave me my first kiss, who first told me he loved me. you don't "go out" with someone for nearly 2 years in middle school but we did. and after that ended we stayed the closest of friends.
even when i went to a different high school for a few years he was there.
and for the years we lost touch during college he was there.
and in the summer of 2007 when we reconnected- WE WERE THERE.
we fell right back to being friends like we were when we were 12.
i never knew i'd only have 2 more years. i never knew the last time we took pictures at the park would be THE last time. never knew that our last trip to the cider mill for cider slushies would be THE last one we'd drink together. you never know when it will be THE LAST.
i never got to say goodbye.....
but over these past 2 years we made it a point to always tell each other
"hey, you matter to me, you're an amazing friend, i have been and will always be here, i'm soo glad things are back to the way they used to be. we made it through growing up and we're better friends for it."
all things stupid we'd done- erased, forgiven, forgotten.
we were living in the present, living for the future.
we'd talk about when we both had kids they would play together. they would be friends.
i would knit his family matching hats n scarves- not the dorky kind but ones that are super cool- because knitting is cool!
and he wore the cuff i made him even when it stretched out
he just wore it higher up on his arm.
there was so much left to do.
but i am thankful. thankful that i got to say all the things i had wanted to say. sure, there is always more but the basics were said.
the important part of my life that he was- that all things between us was understood.
that is what i will hold onto- til the day that i die.
so for him i will smile, because i know he would want me to. and my memories will never fade. sometimes i hate how clear my memory is.
but not today.
today is a day for remembering.
"What I used to be will pass away and then you'll see
That all I want now is happiness for you and me"
-ELLIOTT SMITH-
i needed to post this. so thank you readers for reading and for your constant support of me. if it's in my day to day life or in my buisness and new endeavors. you guys are always there. and it blows me away every time.
i will never stop loving- even though it can hurt so badly.
the loving is ALWAYS worth it.
Rest in peace David Edward Peters.
you will ALWAYS BE LOVED.
and now you're free. free from the burdens and the pain.
"the boy who stopped the world and made his own"
-AARON SPRINKLE-

Sunday, July 12, 2009

POLARITY POSTIN

so last week, i'm losing track of days so forgive me if i'm wrong, in my mailbox there was a tin can full of lids for my spectacular magnetic locket that i ordered from k. cat- as i like to call her- who owns the uber sweet shop on etsy:
aren't they pretty? i was blown away by these little pups. k. cat also included some lids with a few of my FAVORITE photographs that i had shot and posted on my blog. talk about making me feel special.
my house may be a wreck, the laundry may be waaaaay behind & i check to see if i'm still sane at least 5 times a day but in the end it's all good. i've got people in my life that love me lots. some of these people i've never even met.
head over to Polarity,
you know you wanna.
and then hang your locket from your neck or from your red locker.
either way you will be grinning silly!
www.Polarity.etsy.com

today is a day for drawing!

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

SQUIRREL MECHANICS PART DONE!


THE CASE IS FINISHED AND ON IT'S WAY TO THE SUPER COOL, KID FRIENDLY
INDIE-ROCK BAND

THE CASE WILL ALSO HAVE 3 BAGS INSIDE,
1 FOR CASH MONEY, 1 FOR SHARPIES & PENS AND 1 FOR STICKERS!
THE SMALL POUCH IS A HIPPACK TO CARRY ODDS AND ENDS.


LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING ON MORE OF THESE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.....
HOPE EVERYONE IS HAVING A GREAT WEEK!
-GRSG OUT!-
P.S- THE STORAGE & STUDIO MAKE-OVER IS COMING ALONG....
SLOWLY BUT SURELY!

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Squirrel Mechanics part III

MANY MORE PHOTOS TO COME OF THE FULLY FINISHED CASE BUT HERE'S A PREVIEW OF THE 1ST TIME INK HIT CASE........








Tuesday, June 30, 2009

2 CUSTOM PIECES

IF YOU'RE WONDERING WHY I HAVEN'T ADDED ANY NEW PIECES TO THE SHOP LATELY, HERE ARE 2 OF A FEW REASONS WHY......

I AM STILL PLUGGING AWAY ON THE SQUIRREL MECHANICS RECORDS CASE BUT I THOUGHT I WOULD POST THESE 2 OTHER LITTLE NUMBERS JUST SO YOU KNOW THAT I'M NOT GIVING UP ON THE SHOP AND EATING BON BONS ALL DAY. JUST DRAWING LIKE MAD- AS USUAL- AND DRINKING HEAVILY....... DRINKING COFFEE THAT IS. I'M SURE I DIDN'T FOOL ANY OF YOU WITH THAT ONE.
SO MUCH NEEDED RAIN COMING DOWN IN FLORIDA. ON MUSIC TAP FOR TODAY: ELLIOTT SMITH WITH A MIX OF THE SMITHS...... SOUNDING GOOD OVER HERE!

Saturday, June 27, 2009

PROJECT PART 2


PART 2 OF THE UPDATE ON "LUNCH MONEY" MERCH CASE.

I CLEANED AND POLISHED THE CASE I WILL BE DRAWING ON.
YES, I HAD TO TAKE IT INTO THE SHOWER AND BATHTUB AS TO NOT SPRAY WATER ALL OVER MY KITCHEN FLOOR.

BUT THE RED IS SMOKIN HOT AND ALL READY FOR ART!
YAAAAAAAAAY

DRAWING DRAWING DRAWING
LISTENING TO THE NEW PETE YORN & PER USUAL, WANTING MORE COFFEE.
TALK AT CHA' SOON