April 2013 ~ MAD DREAM DESIGN

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So many books, so little time.

This week in the 52 Lists Project we are listing our favorite books.

I am going to be honest, I do not like reading. But do I love books.

Reading has not always come easy to me, but I love stories and I love listening to them, so when I found Audible...reading books, or listening books, has become something I love to do. In the past year I have read way more than I have since school. It has become a real treat for me, which it should be.

There are a few catagories I am most drawn to when it comes to reading...they are non-fiction, classics, and dystopian young adult fiction. I have a huge affinity for history (the classics) and the the future (dystopian fiction). Thankfully I also like non-fiction to keep me in the present.

Non-fiction for me is more about learning new things, bettering myself, understanding myself and others. I love learning and making connections, so my favorite books in this category really gave me some ah-ha moments. I use their lessons daily and strive to live the life I am supposed to live for myself.

Dystopian fiction is purely an escape for me. This is my guilty pleasure reading. I have to say I was not always into futuristic tales. It was not until I started dating Jimi, and his affinity for Sci-Fi, that I started to notice how much I liked it. Dystopian fiction takes me to a world that is completely unknown. The rules are reinvented and skies the limit as for what can happen. I love learning about these worlds the authors create and the way they portray how it will bring out the best, or the worst in people in the face of fear, danger and survival. There is always love and adventure - literally what more could a girl ask for?? I know this is not the most scholarly of genres to be reading, but I am not afraid to share this, because when I have down time I just want it to be an entertaining, exciting, and easy story to connect with, that I cannot put down.

Classics take me back in time to eras I would have loved to experience for myself. These novels make you think about things. They are still so relative in everyday life, because the lessons and morals they are teaching through ordinary people, still hold value today - they are that timeless. I have read a lot of classics, but there are also so many that I want to read, and intend to change that.

Photo Credit

Week 16
favorite books.

Classics
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Young Adult
Divergent (Series) by Veronica Roth
Under the Never Sky (Series) by Veronica Rossi
Partials (Series) by Dan Wells
Legend (Series) by Marie Lu
Delirium (Series) by Lauren oliver
Sunshine by Robin McKinley

Non-Fiction
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
Quiet by Susan Cain
A Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz

Challenge
To read more books from my To Read list and to take the knowledge and the resonance and actually live those things in my everyday life. To live life with the same intensity that I find in dystopian novels, to live with the same thoughtfulness and courage of my favorite characters and to love like life were a fairytale, even when it is not.

Looking through my list I have found my "to read" list is much longer than my favorites. I would have had a much easier time with that list. What is on your favorites list? I need recommendations to add to my Audible Wish List...now that you know what I like. ;) What is on your To Read list?

A few from my To Read List:
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (again)
Death at SeaWorld by David Kirby

Enjoy!

To be, or not to be, that is the question.

So this week's prompt for the 52 Lists Project is to list your favorite quotes. My first thought was well I just have so many...I couldn't possibly list them all. Honestly though, who can? We all have favorite quotes that literally mean the world to us. They hold a dear place in our hearts for all time, a few days, depending on the day or the time in your life, but they all find a little spot to resonate.

Words of wisdom, words passed down through generations, words of love, passages, poems, lyrics, and verses - they are all quotes and words we find comfort in. They are used to inspire, captivate, calm, express, and motivate to do something that is so much bigger than us - live life. Naturally, depending on how you wish to pursue life, you will find solace in different quotes than others, but you will also find like people, that find those same words special. Who knows, it could be a completely different reason as to why, but there is still a connection. Words set us apart, but they also bring us together.

Week 15
favorite quotes.

Life and Dreams

Mermaid by Biljana Kroll, via Behance

"I must be a mermaid. I have no fear of depths and a great fear of shallow living."
- Anais Nin

This defines me so well and how I feel about life...I am not afraid to feel, and I so want for that depth, but I am afraid of never fulling achieving my own personal depth (we all have one), or living a shallow life. This quote helps me keep the focus of what I will always want out of life. I truly love this illustration by Biljana Kroll. She has some really artistic, typographic designs that are fresh and full of color. The line work and compositions are well thought out and the colors are like a dream. Her work resonates with me much like this quote she has picked for this particular illustration. You can see her portfolio here.

"Be thirsty heart, seek forever without a rest. Let this soundless longing hidden deep inside you be the source of every word you say."
- Rumi

"Be the heroine of your life, not the victim."
- Nora Ephron

"The cure for anything is salt water...sweat, tears and the sea."
- Isak Dinesen

“When you've seen beyond yourself, then you may find, peace of mind is waiting there.”
- George Harrison

Love

"Dream without fear, love without limits."
- Glamour Kills

"If there ever comes a day we can't be together, keep me in your heart, I'll stay there forever."
- Winnie the Pooh

"In a sea of people, my eyes will always search for you."
- Unknown

"Where there is love, there is life"
- Gandhi

Art

Photo Credit

"I'm going to make everything around me beautiful - that will be my life."
- Elsie de Wolfe

Yes, is this not the life of a creative? Is this not what we all strive for in life, in general? To make beautiful things, beautiful people, beautiful words. I am not talking just about outer beauty...I am talking about things that are purely beautiful, inner beauty and outer beauty for the things they wonderfully have to offer the world.

"Everything you imagine is real."
- Pablo Picasso

"Art is the only way to runaway without leaving home."
- Twyla Tharp

That and reading, I say.

Adventure

Photo Credit

"Traveling - it leaves you speechless, and then turns you into a storyteller."
- Ibn Battuta

"The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man."
- Unknown

I love this one, because for me it is so true. I get an itch, an angst, a thirst to get outside, get on the ocean, go camping or travel somewhere new, because I need these places to set my spirit free...even if for a few days, a few hours, a few minutes. A road trip is the most freeing thing in this world to me...nothing has compared...yet.

via Instagram @maddiedierkes

I have a few other quote posts that have some other favorites here and here. You can also see a whole lot of fun quotes I have pinned on My Famous Last Words board.

What are some of your favorite quotes? I would love to hear them.

xo,

Dream Jobs and The Artist's Way

52 Lists // Week 14 // Dream Jobs

I have been a bit lax with my posts this week, but here is a bit on why:

I am moving away from what I have been recently calling "fluff posts" and have set my heart on more in depth, informative, inspiring and creative content. My background is in art and art history. I am a designer second to be an artist and I want my blog to reflect that. No more design for design's sake, but rather inspired design, history, cutting edge, and unique art and people...that is what I really love. The stuff behind the work, that is why I love art history. With that said, I still want to have fun...I enjoy lists and this project can be as in depth as I want it to be, so I am going to continue, but I will be mixing in some art, art history, inspired design, and some reflection when I can! :)

This prompt goes quite well with what I am currently reading, The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. I am on Week 8 (my weeks often turn into two weeks) which is about loss. Each chapter is full of amazing anecdotes and concepts for artists, students who went to art school, or are just a creative person that is finding themselves blocked.

I didn't think I was a blocked artist until I started reading The Artist's Way, but oh wow, was I dead wrong.
There are some chapters where I am just in awe of how at one point in the not so distant past that was soooo me. It is a bit scary, a bit eye opening, and a bit of relief that I am out of some of those relationships and mind sets today. It makes me thankful for my gifts and talents, as every artist should be. I am moving through the chapters slowly really absorbing what she has to say and taking in what resonates with me. It is powerful stuff.

One exercise from The Artist's Way is much like this week's prompt, focusing on your dream jobs, as a kid and as an adult now. I must say my dream jobs as a child are quite a bit different to the ones I have now. And then there are some so far out there, that you may be surprised to see them, if you know me well. I was even surprised to see some of them.

photo credit

Childhood Dream Jobs
lifeguard.
interior designer.
marine biologist.
animal trainer.
photo journalist.
artist.
history teacher.
professional athlete.

via @for_thedreamers instagram

Current Dream Jobs
small business owner.
jewelry designer.
museum curator.
marine biologist.
singer.
explorer.
fine artist.
art/design expert.
art/art history teacher.

The challenge for this list is the number one reason and benefit for doing this list, and same goes for The Artist's Way, incorporating these dreams into your life in some way. I have no want to be a lifeguard anymore, but I recognized the exact reason why I wanted to be at 3 years old. I wanted to be a lifeguard, because I love the ocean and I want to be on the ocean on a regular basis...not just in the summer time. So I paddle outrigger canoe. The best part of that is still apart of my life, in a fun way!

Challenge
How can I integrate one of these dream jobs into my life right now?
Photo journalism - use my blog as a place for photo journalism - share photos, journeys, and knowledge. Do my research, interview experts, and become an expert in the process. It is all about the journey....embrace it.

What are your dream jobs? Do you incorporate the ideas you loved about that dream job into your life somehow? Or are you making one of your dream jobs a reality? I know I am.

xo,

Heart Art Series

New Series: Heart Art

I have been working this idea in my head and yesterday morning it started to really take form. I really love promoting other artists, especially ones that inspire me, but rather than just promote them I want to get to know them and their thoughts behind their work...whether it be a small interview or just a look behind the scenes into their studio. This is what this series will be about. A deeper look in to a variety of different art forms we all love. The deeper meaning behind the idea and people seeing them out.

I am going to start this series off slow and start with Mad Dream Design and then start to move it toward others and maybe eventually have guest posts be apart of this series. I really want my blog to become a place to dream, create, inspire and be a great resource for art, artists, and design inspired by art. As an art history major, one of my favorite things hands down, was discovering the meanings behind every little detail in a painting or the "mad idea" behind a contemporary sculpture.

You can read more about me under the MAD. tab. Instead of talking about me, I am going to talk about my Spring 2013 Collection I just launched last week on Etsy. Check it out here!

Heart Art // Mad Dream Spring 2013 Collection
Tribe Vibes

My art has always been inspired by nature and animals. In painting class my best work was always a landscape painting - I should have known then. I guess you always just end up gravitating to what you are inspired most by in your work without much thought...this new idea I have is not usually that new because it is a concept of something I already saw in nature. My Spring 2013 Collection is no exception, which is why I have named it Tribe Vibes.

Tribe Vibes is all about getting back to our roots and the values that came with them. For example, birds were always a sign of good luck, the animal that lived between heaven and earth, a sacred creature that meant good things were coming when it crossed your path. The value of family and respect for animals and nature. The power of the ocean and energy of the sky. These are all things that spoke to me and this collection.

Next time, I will be looking at the inspiration and depth behind each piece in my collection. Each piece offers something different and 5% of its proceeds goes to an animal or nature preservation non-profit organization. I will be sharing my experience with all of them and what they mean to me and Mad Dream.

I am excited for this series to take form and for the inspiration and new friends we find.

Enjoy!

Falling For Friday // 4-5-13

Hello Friday, my good friend!

Spring Love Fest

What are your favorite things about Spring?

I am loving the warmer afternoons, my garden going off with flowers everywhere, the smell of jasmine, that it is lighter later, the smell of salt on the wind and that fresh feeling...you know what I am talking about!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

Here is a fun graphic for what I plan to do this spring and summer..anyone else?

by Maddie Dierkes

And now, I am going to leave you with this, one of my favorite quotes.

Photo Credit

"The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears and the sea." - Isak Dinesen

Enjoy your weekend!

Create Every Day // Craftcation :: Part 2

If you missed Part 1 you can find it here!

Craftcation // Part 2
the crafts.

In today's part of this series I am going to tell you all about the wonderful crafts you can find at Craftcation. Well, the name kind of says it all...right? You can basically find any craft here, but it is still fun to learn a little bit about each one.

Book Binding
Scrapbooking
Sewing - like a 3 hour skirt and a fun clutch
Reverse applique and Embroidery
Knitting
Paper projects
Macrame
Preserves
Needle Felting
Soap and Candle making
Fermentation
Rosettes
Letterpress
Printmaking
Pickling
Homemade Carmel Sauce and Ice Cream

Do you want to go yet? I want to go back! Those are just most of the craft classes offered at Craftcation...they also have business classes - anything and everything you could think when owning your own craft biz (Part 3...coming soon!).

So which classes did I go to?

Well, I don't really do sewing...so maybe I should have taken the crash course they offered, but I tend to steer clear of the sewing machines. I love food, so should have gotten in on some of that caramel sauce and ice cream, but I didn't. Maybe these are good things for next year...

Bookbinding - a fun little book made with cereal boxes
Needle Felting - poking wool with a needle - a sure good release
Traveler's Daybook - A scrapbook on the go
Candle Making - what to do with all those old candles you have laying around...

Bookbinding
In this class we learned how to do a 7 hole pamphlet stitch.
The materials we used were:
Cereal boxes - cover
Paper - pamphlet
waxed linen - stitch
we also used a bone fold (oh so fun) and a punch
With all of this we made these great little pamphlets for taking notes and storing cards. So many ways you can elaborate on this project...especially if you like a good notebook...like I do.

c/o Craftcation and Neon Sprinkles Studio

Needle Felting
What is there not to love about continually stabbing wool with a needle??? Anyone...yeah did not think so. I fell in love with needle felting at Cal State Long Beach while taking a fibers class. I have no memory of what I made, but I know I loved the feeling of it. So when I say this on the schedule I was all over it. Angharad was showing us how to make cute little owls so I decided to follow suit because I have always thought it would be fun to needle felt animals...especially woodland creatures...don't ask me why, but I just think the medium lends itself nicely to those animals. Anyway here is my little owl. We used wool, a needle felting needle, and foam for this project.

Traveler's Daybook
With the one and only Amy Tan! This class was so fun...her classes always are. Her mama comes to help her out and it just all about having fun with it! This class was for a traveler's daybook...so a quick and easy on the go type of scrapbook, so you still have those great memories when you get back from the trip. I love scrapbooking, but have not had time for it in quite a few years...I keep a lot of things though, so this is perfect for me! I made one for all of our camp trips in the next year or so. We go to use a lot of her supplies from her American Crafts collection. Check out her website Amy Tangerine! Here is how my book turned out.

View from our hotel room in the background!

Soy Candles 101
In this class we got to do a few different things with candles. We got to melt down wax, scent it and then pour it, after decorating it a bit. We also got roll beeswax into candles and learn how to make fire starters (awesome!). Here is my soy candle...it smells like cherry...yum!

My mom took some of the same classes but she also did some fun sew classes, block printing and paper projects - like this card! I mean really? :)

c/o Linsi Brownson via Craftcation Instagram

What craft classes would you like to take? What are you making this week? This week I have been focusing on making, or more specifically, the word maker. This word was a big deal at Craftcation, because we are all makers.

xo,

52 Lists // Week 13

Mad Dream Design is linking up with Moorea Seal for the 52 Lists project every Wednesday!

Week 13

List the things you want to make.

jewelry. style.

prints. 2D designs.

cards. lists.

a home. a sanctuary.

fun printables.

paint the walls.

fountains for our yards.

wood chimes for our yards.

fun blogs. web designs.

a composter.

an improved garden. herbs.

a meaningful life.

my wedding. stationary.

healthy dinners.

pottery on a wheel.

heartfelt words.

my business. my brand.

art. inspiration.

beautiful things.

an awesome get away plan.

a family of my own.

the best of this life.

photographs of good memories.

a great wardrobe for myself.

my own motivation.

Challenge

I am going to make my Etsy Shop happen!

What will you be making this weekend?

xo,

Happy Easter + What's New

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend and Happy Easter. For me it was filled with family...which is always the best. Here is a little preview....

YUM!

Mom knows how to host, and she always has gorgeous displays and delicious dishes, especially during the holidays. Above is her gorgeous, homemade (from scratch!) Strawberry Vanilla Cake.
So yum!

And last but not least...me and this little Easter bunny...Sophie! :)

So what's new?

Mad Dream Design Etsy Shop is officially open!!!
Introducing my Spring 2013 line. Rolling out more designs throughout the week.

How to participate in all the fun?
Join our mailing list to receive a sweet deal! This deal lasts Friday, April 5th, 11pm through Sunday, April 7th, 11 pm. Sign up here!

Come by and say hello at the shop! I am so excited to share it all with you.

Enjoy!
xo,