Earlier this week I took a little field trip to the Mississippi State University campus. There are some beautiful and sweet-smelling Magnolia varieties in the center of campus that simply burst in Spring. Even though it’s only early February, we’ve had enough mild Mississippi weather that the varieties are already in full bloom. I thought I’d share a few of the images. We’re expecting a hard freeze this weekend, so these petals will distract me from the cold. Hope you enjoy!
I’ve been experimenting a little more lately with taking photographs, and I wanted to try out some photoshop “actions” I found from Paint The Moon. Last Friday I took a little field trip (as I sometimes do) to the Cotton District area of Starkville to get some detail shots. The actions just give the photos a slight shift in lighting that gave the rainy day shots a little more depth. I thought I’d share.
I love this idea! I came across ownacolour.com in a recent ezine and was really impressed by the clever approach to fundraising. The site is developed through the support of Glidden paints and benefits Unicef, the United Nations’ children’s fund. For a donation through the site of as little as $2, you can purchase your choice of the 16.7 million available colors. You can name your color, make a statement about why you like the color and give it a one-word description. You can even gift the color to someone if desired. For you web techies out there, your donation also gets you the hex code for your newly named color of choice for use later.
MY color purchase? “Newborn Leaf” hex #add46e, and my one-word description was “courage.” Go get one for yourself!
I found this sweet printable calendar over at Cool Mom Picks, and I couldn’t resist making it my 3rd time-marking purchase of the year. It’s created by French-based Tiny Us and is available for a donation of any size to their Presence charity — a school for handicapped children. Given my love of all things paper-related, the paper dolls really struck my fancy. I love their unabashed girlie-ness and the encouragement for play each page provides. I can’t wait to print them!
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Well, I’ve just cracked open my next 2012 calendar purchase! I’m already using the first calendar option because Miss Little Things Studio was kind enough to include December 2011 in her offering. Yay! Now, I can’t wait until January to hang this option from Heather Lins studio. It’s a monthly celebration of typography printed in thin wood veneer. Half the fun for me is the packaging and the process of opening my little gift to me. Enjoy the journey with me!
I recently had the privilege of completing a website design project for the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum. The Museum is located in Starkville in an old railway station and houses a collection of artifacts and memorabilia from the county, and it’s run entirely by volunteers. It was a pleasure working with their board to create a new digital presence to promote the Museum, so please take a moment to visit the site!
Back when I began the project, I took a field trip to the Museum to see the collection for myself with camera in hand. Naturally, my lens gravitated to letters and numbers, so I thought I would share a few.
I love calendars. Specifically, I love monthly calendars that give me some form of inspiration. I just enjoy the process of flipping the page to see what new image or color or font or message is in store on the first of each month. So, I tend to gather several calendar versions around my office, displaying them where I can see and enjoy. Sometimes they are hanging calendars. Sometimes they are other variations I prop or clip at will. For me, it’s like a little collection of rotating art. Just as I’m becoming blind to the familiarity of each piece, it’s time to change.
A couple of weeks ago, I made my first calendar purchase for 2012, and I thought I’d share a peek. A peek is all I took, myself, because the packaging was so lovely. I couldn’t bear to untie it until January 1. So I hung it up under one of the 2011 versions to enjoy the anticipation This illustrated hanging calendar was created by Little Things Studio right here in my home state of Mississippi. I love her whimsical patterns and vibrant colors. Mine came wrapped in orange cord with a bonus bookmark!
Marking time is one of our great privileges in life. To imagine a life with no opportunity to remember the past or dream about the future would be one without inspiration. To attempt a life without numbering our days would be one risking too much regret. Today is a great day to sow the seeds for 2012–in life and work. Let’s get started!
I couldn’t resist one last spook to share for October. Here’s to toothy grins, orange and good advice for all seasons!
Last Friday I decided to take a little field trip away from my project schedule. From time to time, my camera and I go on a letters-and-numbers hunt. It’s a little habit I started back in college, and I simply enjoy documenting the written word or cypher (whether chiseled or brushed) wherever I find it.
For this hunt, I decided to visit the Reform Presbyterian Cemetery here in Starkville. This small plot of circa 1840 is wedged in between the bustle of University Drive and MS Hwy 182 — to be more precise, between the Halfway House bar and a Texaco station. It’s an odd little pocket of history in the middle of college town central. And, although the cemetery is in disrepair and many of the monuments are broken down and markings faded, I was curious to re-visit it.
Cemeteries always offer a wealth of letters and numbers — specifically, poignant but concise commentaries. Pair that possibility with fading marble, the crunch of last year’s autumn leaves, and a cool October afternoon, and you have the makings of a ripe field trip. While I try not to frequent cemeteries that often, the simple shapes of this aged one offered the week an opportunity for cool and quiet reflection. So, I thought I’d give you a first glimpse of the details I discovered.
Since I know I’ll share images of letters and numbers in future posts, I’ll simply add one to this opening collection. This mark is actually a joint where two pieces of now-broken marble were meant to connect. I couldn’t help but see the equal sign and recognize that in this place, although the engravings may differentiate between persons, a cemetery itself is the great equalizer.
My name is Haley Montgomery. After 16 years of ad agency wizardry, I hopped out on my own with Small Pond Graphics. I'm a creative for hire. Plop! is my pursuit of frogs with great prince potential... What's inspiring me. What's making me think better. What's turning my smile. What's keeping me afloat. It's all here.
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