Customized Get Uncommon iPhone Case

For some reason I had the itch to get a new iPhone case. Do not get me wrong, I absolutely love my Yellena James case that I found a few years ago after combing through literally thousands of cases on Etsy. What I love about Yellena's work is her brilliant use of vibrant colors and undulating lines that make me feel like I am in a coral-reef-filled scene from Finding Nemo. Plus, her work can be spotted on Modern Family - now THAT is cool.

This time around I decided to semi-design my own iPhone case. Why do I say semi-designed, you ask? Well, if you google "line icons" you will see a plethora of beautifully-designed minimalist icons for everything from kitchen tools to travel gear. Many are free to download and use so rather than reinventing the wheel, I decided to use them as a starting point for my design. I will have links to all the sites I grabbed them from at the end of this post.

Well, your phone is probably the single most important object you use on a daily basis (whether we like it or not). As such, I wanted my new case to be my daily reminder to strive to do the things that bring joy to my life. I gathered all the icons (and drew out a few) that make me happy and surrounded them around the tagline "Do What You Love." It is such a simple motto to say but not always easy to live by. It is always easier to complain than to change, easier to conform and be complacent than to demand something better. But life is too short to be unhappy.

So whether it is traveling or painting, trying your hand at a new skill or reading a fabulous book (I highly recommend Tina Fey's Bossypants), DO WHAT YOU LOVE.

I used Get Uncommon to print my iPhone case design. The process is super easy and the printing quality is really great. And I have to say a big THANK YOU to them. Why you ask? Well, I was so disappointed when I received my case because the artwork was not centered. I asked if they would be so kind to reprint the case, fully expecting they would say no. Luck for me, they did and even sent me a screen cleaning cloth. An example of great customer service, if I say so myself. I will definitely order my next case from them.

Line Icons
Dribbble - 48 Bubbles Iconset
Behance - Line Icon Set
Blugraphic - Ice Cream Icons
Gravual - Kitchen Tools & The Great Outdoors
Pixeden - Lab Bar Icons
Sketch App Sources - Leisure Activity Icons
Streamline - Icon Pack
VK - Leisure Activity Icons
Do What You Love Artwork

Dress For Success

I recently was cleaning out my closet at my parents' home when I came across this three-piece suit that I got right after graduating from college. As I type this post I have a smile on my face as I am taken back to the exact moment when my mom picked it out for me. It would be my suit of armor as I faced each daunting job interview.

Initially, I was planning to donate the suit to Goodwill but recalled of a non-profit organization called Dress for Success that provides professional attire and career development tools to disadvantaged women. I dropped off the suit at the charity's San Francisco location accompanied by a card with a few words of encouragement and one of my all-time favorite quotes: "You will because you can."

I will never meet the new owner of my suit but hope that she will do great things in her unique way. If you have any professional clothing to share, please check here to find your closest location to donate.

If Pocky had Weddings

I am currently working on a simple DIY project using Pocky sticks and had the most random thought: what if these delicious Japanese snacks fell in love and had a wedding. I was not kidding when I said random, right? I did not realize the sheer number of Pocky varieties (many I have never heard of and am desperate to try!) and thought I would pair a few and envision what styles their weddings might look like.

If Men's Pocky and Rare Cheesecake Pocky had a wedding,

it would most definitely be a "Black Tie Affair."

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If Kurogo Pocky and Strawberry Pocky had a wedding,

it would be utterly romantic. Soft, elegant, and graceful.

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If Matcha Pocky and Pumpkin Pocky had a wedding,

it would be in a forest. No doubt.

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And finally, if Chocolate Pocky and Ivory Pocky had a wedding,

it would be an "Glitz and Glamour" extravaganza.

Fruit Sweethearts

Who doesn't love fruits? They are nature's healthy yet uber delicious candy. Now that summer is in full swing, I thought this would be the perfect time to shower my favorite fruits with some love. Hope you enjoy these sweethearts as much as I enjoyed designing them!

I think I will now go and raid my grocery store's entire fruit section. Until next time. *wink*

Designer Handbag Alphabet

Sometimes I let a new project find me. I wait for something to spark an idea that puts me on high-alert and begs me to design it. This project definitely made its way to me when I came across this meticulously-crafted flower alphabet. A beautiful interpretation of the English alphabet, of 26 symbols that we continuously put together to form our everyday thoughts.

Thévy Guex

I combed through Pinterest boards and found numerous variations from illustrated birds and foods to strategically positioned safety pins and rubber bands. Each incredibly unique, charming and smile-inducing.

Andrea Kalfas

Vidhya Nagarajan

Zumra Waheed

Florent Chau

Karen Bueno

Jenny Kyvik Hutchens

I could not wait to get in on the action and decided to create a handbag version showcasing iconic bags from the world's biggest names in fashion. Anyone who knows me knows that I love handbags. This project would be just the thing to satisfy my bag addiction without breaking the bank.

Some letters were no-brainers - G for Gucci, H for Hermès, V for Valentino. For others like the letter C I had to tearfully choose amongst my beloved Chanel, Céline, and Chloé.

Preliminary brainstorming and sketching

A: Anya Hindmarch
B: Balenciaga
C: Chanel
D: Dior
E: Emilio Pucci
F: Fendi
G: Gucci

H: Hermès
I: Issey Miyake
J: Jason Wu
K: Kate Spade
L: Louis Vuitton
M: Mulberry
N: Narciso Rodriguez

O: Oscar de la Renta
P: Prada
Q: Alexander McQueen
R: Ralph Lauren
S: Salvatore Ferragamo
T: Tory Burch
U: Urania Gazelli

V: Valentino
W: Alexander Wang
X: X-patterned tote
Y: Yves Saint Laurent
Z: Zac Posen

I did not stop here. I was preparing to leave my job and decided to design personalized goodbye cards for roughly fifty of my colleagues, many of whom who share my bag addiction. I thought it would be perfect to utilized my freshly-designed alphabet to spell my coworkers' names on each card. Here are a few examples:

Clark (Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Anya Hindmarch, Ralph Lauren, Kate Spade)

Claire (Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Anya Hindmarch, Issey Miyake, Ralph Lauren, Emilio Pucci)

Michael (Mulberry, Issey Miyake, Chanel, Hermès, Anya Hindmarch, Emilio Pucci, Louis Vuitton)

Oceane (Oscar de la Renta, Chanel, Emilio Pucci, Anya Hindmarch, Narciso Rodriguez, Emilio Pucci)

Signing away, one card at a time.

And for my collegues located in other parts of the world, I also created an email version of the goodbye card for them. Can you figure out what the handbags spell out?