Abstract Life

This month has absolutely been insane. I knew it would get crazy but I never thought it would get THIS bad. Oh well... I've been trucking through this month as best I can. I finished my advertising campaign with my group. I need to reprint it on the correct paper though because I ordered plantable paper to print the posters on. Yes. Plantable paper... You can tear up the paper, put it in soil, water it and wild flowers will grow. The company that sells it is called Botanical Paperworks. They have some awesome stuff.

Calligraphy has definitely been neat. Although, I'd like to be learning how to write some crazy, awesome type instead of basic roman letters, it's still been fun to learn something new. I guess you have to learn to crawl before you walk though.

In other design related news, I started work on designing my website. So hopefully soon ALL of this will have an all new look entirely. I was going to save the site change and official release of this site as a surprise but I've been absent from posting, so that's my offering of sorry. I have my shop name saved on big cartel, I'm applying for a re-sellers license with a certain big name shirt company, and this company is about to have an official release. I have a couple shirts I'm going to have made that are not pressed by me, considering we only have a single color press. But overall, while this has been a very slow process, I am pleased with it. It has been a complete learning process for me and I feel like I wouldn't be where I am now with it all if I just would've thrown things together and pushed out a half ass'd company.

So, instead of writing a wall of text, about all the happenings of this month, I will keep it short and sweet for the most part.

I got quite a few new goodies, one major one, which is a new MacBook pro. My productivity has greatly increased but it was cut in half by the apple tv that I also got. Haha I'll just post pictures of the rest of the stuff but for the most part I had a pretty awesome week then.

This month was also my friends birthday. She was having a Kesha themed party so for her birthday I designed and printed her shirts. I also did shirts for active minds and psi chi here at sate. They actually turned out very nice. The only other work I did was a poster for our drift event we are having.

Past all that it's mostly just been school and work. I've gone out a few times with friends but for once I don't have pictures of awesome food. Haha Although, I did go up on a firetruck ladder and ended up on states homepage. It was an absolutely amazing view but I kind of freaked out for a brief moment.

Well, I'm sorry this post had taken way too long but hopefully October will be a better, semi easier month.... It will def be zombie filled! Which is always a good thing.

Thanks to the people who support me in this... It means a lot and I can never explain how much that means to me.

With the exception of school and work, not a ton has been going on. I've enjoyed all my classes so far, except I have a ton of work. Calligraphy class is probably the coolest class I have. Writing with the pens takes some getting used to and I kind of suck at it right now but I'm hoping I will improve. Haha

On a MAJOR update, last weekend my friend Trent and I started up the motor on his 2 year work in progress, project car. We ran into a lot of bumps and and mind boggling problems but we got everything sorted out and it cranked up. When we test drove it, it was having some overheating issues but he went back this weekend and got it all sorted out as well. He should be bringing it down when he comes back on Monday. I know that he is finally relieved to be over such a huge hump in this build. I've watched that car go through many changes over the years and for me it's incredibly exciting to see it all come together.

In other news, I finally got some time to do stuff around the house. Haha I straightened up the back patio and bought a much needed bench to put out there. I feel like my house is finally coming together.

I ordered a couple more things that I will update on later, but I'm going to rest before work and try and catch up on my school work these next few days. Keep a look out for updates and thanks for reading.

This post might be a little lengthy so bare with me.

Abstract Life is officially now Abstract Life, LLC. If you don't know what that means, it means that Abstract Life is now a legitimate company. I will be working on getting my website up and running this semester, along with getting my online store made. This blog will still exist but it will be a link on the main page. It will take a little while to get everything done but that gives me some time to make the official first run of everything I will sell. Some designs you have seen, I will be keeping an others will not be used. What I have left of them will be sold as test prints, limited runs, and one off's. I'm incredibly exited that all this is finally coming together. It's taken some time but it has been a learning experience and I feel that the time was needed.

On a side note, I will keep this brief, school has officially started, buffalo wild wings is officially open and I officially am going to be slammed this year with work. I did the pre-grand opening for buffalo wild wings and I was shocked at the amount of people that showed up. (they brought tents an sleeping bags) I worked till four in the morning but it was actually a lot of fun. Also, my classes this year seem like they're going to also be a lot of fun. Hopefully I can get some good work out of this semester but we shall see. I haven't had a lot of time to myself lately with school and work but I was able to go out last night with my best friend and check out an awesome show at state theater. We went to a couple other parties afterwards but it was a great night and highly needed.

It's just crazy to me that everything is coming to a close and just taking off all at the same time. There will be many updates throughout the semester, so keep a look out.

P.S.- if you're ever in Memphis, check out Celtic Crossing off Cooper St. Their fish and chips are AMAZING!

I've slacked a little bit with the updates but there's a reason! My buffalo wild wings training has been pretty crazy this week, not to mention time consuming. As hectic as it's been, I've actually had a lot of fun. I've met a lot of new people and on top of that, I've gotten free meals every night. Tonight is VIP night and I can only imagine who all is going to be there to eat.

Aside from my new job I've made two new items. One is a promo shirt and the other is a poster that I am very proud of. It's getting dangerously close to the launch of the main website I will be making so I am trying to get all my t's crossed and i's dotted. Also, I had the last of my items show up the other day. A plank that allows me to print on sleeves and two inks that are made to print on dark fabrics. I'm really excited about all of it and need to get everything finished up. I also bought something major for Abstract Life, so when that comes in I will be posting about it immediately.

Thanks for reading and keep an eye out for more updates.

Well summer studios are finally over! I finished my finals and passed both classes. I feel like I haven't had a life at all this month. I learned a lot but I'm glad I will never have to take two studios in the same month ever again. It's been incredibly challenging and draining. Now I have a little time to work on my own stuff. I screen printed a little this past week and took a trip up to Memphis to get my haircut and take a little break. I checked out a show and ate with my best friend at his Dad's house.

On top of this incredibly difficult month of July I was let go from my job. It's a long story but essentially I got screwed over. I was worried at first but I recently have been hired at buffalo wild wings that was recently built in Starkville. I found out the night we moved my friend into his apartment and we went out to Dave's Dark-horse Tavern to have a few drinks and get some food.

It's been really hectic lately, so I'm hoping it will slow down. I ordered some stuff for my business lately, so those updates will be posted as they come. My paper I ordered came in today, so I can't wait to use it. I stopped in Tupelo to eat at the food court cause I love the crappy Asian food they serve. Haha I'm about to leave to go to orientation for buffalo wild wings so this shall be interesting.

Thanks for reading and keep checking back. Big changes will be happening as this semester goes on.

I know I was suppose to make this all about my trip to Austin but some stuff happened, along with classes, that postponed it. Anyways, I'm gonna change this blog up a bit... And start posting shorter smaller updates close together. Anyways, I'm gonna keep this short and sweet.
The eleven hour drive was not as bad as I thought it would be. I had one issue of obtaining gas but thanks to my best friend I was able to get back on the road. It was great seeing an old friend when I got there and just as great to meet new ones. They took me out to a place similar to Beale St. but WAY better. That Saturday my friend took me all around town to check out all the sights. I wish I had more time to spend there because I didn't even get to see an eighth of what I wanted to. The city is beautiful. The people are awesome. I absolutely love it there.
It was sad to come back home but I used my leftover money to get some sushi, so it was all good!
This past weekend was also my birthday. I had a lot of fun and got some really awesome gifts from my friends. Getting older sucks but having great friends just makes it an adventure.

P.s.- I also finished my self portrait and I'm really pleased about it.

Thanks for the support.

Well the power is out, so what better time than now to make an update. Currently I'm cooking spaghetti on my grill outside. I REALLY wanted spaghetti. But anyways, let's get into this.

One of my best friends and roomate, Jake, has gotten a new job out in San Francisco. Well before he moved out we wanted to give him a going away party. We decided to do a pot luck. I made Santa fe chicken pasta, one person made brochette, another made dip and someone else brought cupcakes. We had a lot of fun but needless to say it was lackluster cause the fact that he was leaving. Although I did make him an awesome card that was based off of a tweet that our friend Christian mysteriously made pop up on jakes twitter. We all got a huge laugh out of it.

That weekend I decided to go home. I went out to eat at this awesome sushi place called Dó. This soup I got was phenomenal and as always the sushi was incredible. I also went and hung out with one of my closest friends, Scott. He was working out in the garage when I got over there. He was flocking a dash. Basically it makes the dash suede. He had just got back from Scraping the Coast, a car gathering of low-riders and modified trucks essentially, and while he was there; he and his girlfriend got me a present. It was two zombie comic books. They're awesome and the people that got them for me are more awesome than I can ever explain. That night we smoked our friends hookah that he brought back from Afghanistan. It was incredibly relaxing. The next day I just took the day to myself to watch movies and go to barnes and noble. I saw a lot that I wanted but didn't have the money to buy. Although, I did buy a new cook book for $8. Haha
On the fourth of July I had an amazing day of food and hanging out watching fireworks with some of the most amazing people I know ever. It was probably the best day I've ever had in years. I also got an awesome little bonsai tree as present from her. It's currently not growing at the moment but I still love it!

Classes started last week and they've actually been kicking my ass. I'm taking life drawing and painting 1. I love my teachers and I'm learning a lot but this whole 8-5 in the studio deal is really hard work. My meals reflect it. I am learning a lot and that's all that matters.

This past weekend was a lot of fun. I went to this thing at Harrah's in Tunica, Ms called Harrah's Heat Wave Pool Party. It's only $5 to get in and the drinks are a little pricey but overall it was pretty cool. I also tried my luck at the slots. I lost $19 and decided to walk out with my pride in hand. That night I helped my friend work on his car but we didn't get too far considering we started at 1 a.m. and spent 30 minutes doing it the wrong way. That weekend I also ate at Ghengis Grill, one of my favorite places to eat at!

When I got back home I started working on the Save the Date cards my hair stylist hired me to do. So far I like the way they're coming but I'll post pics of them in the next update, when they're finished.

Speaking of updates.. I'm thinking this coming up week is gonna be a little different. I'm going to Austin, TX on Friday so I'm going to make an update solely based on that and also I've been thinking about doing a "Tour of Starkville" style post. Most people think of this place as cows and farm fields, when it is far from that.

Thanks for reading and keep a heads up for the new posts next week!

Well, I wasn't kidding when I said the updates might get pushed back this month. I'm barely finding time to write this now. Haha I've put it off long enough, though. I'm going to be a little brief in some instances and let the pictures do most of the talking. There are quite a few.

Anyways, one of the major events this month was my good friends Matt and Cynthia's wedding. They had it outside on a bridge on family land in Alabama. Haha It was beautiful. I can honestly say that I cried. It was incredibly emotional and I'm so very happy for them. Aside from the gorgeous wedding, the night before and day of the wedding, all the groomsmen hung out at the pool having a couple of beers and telling stories. I can honestly say that I haven't had a good time like that in a very long time. The drive up there was a lot of fun to me and also very eye opening. The twisty roads were fun but when I started passing through towns that were leveled by those horrible tornados, it became very surreal.

When I got back to Starkville after that weekend I cooked a VERY large dinner. Although a ton of food, it was delicious! Especially the skewers! This past month has also been pretty tight money wise. As we've pretty much almost ran completely out of food, I've been living off of ramen noodles. A.k.a.- flavored salt noodles. Haha

Fathers day was also this month. Our whole family decided to go to my brothers house boat at Heber Springs in Arkansas. As always, it was a TON of fun. We stopped on the way up there and ate at my favorite place, the big bayou market. The fathers day breakfast was also amazing, considering I don't eat breakfast.

In other news I got a little something new. It came out amazing and I love it! It didn't even cost much! Speaking of new things.. I also got in some new screen printing ink... Glow in the dark and metallic gold! They are so much fun! I also started printing the war shirt. It came out great as well.

I had to dog sit this past weekend and I decided to take a day to myself on sat and go around to different stores such as the pet store, dirt cheap, lowes and walmart. I had a good day. Later on I went to screen print and then for a break, Matt Lanke, Molly and I went to get ice cream. I definitely made a "special" combination. Haha

I also started printing my logo onto the backs of all my shirts. It took forever! But I got halfway done. School has kept me from being able to get a lot done. Although, it was my teachers birthday the other day and she handed us pre-written notes for the day and cupcakes! Having the day off was relaxing.

Today is my final for animal biology and I'm done with core classes! I stayed up a little too late last night, but I'm feeling better the more I stay awake. Haha We went to see transformers 3, which was amazing, and didn't get home till 2 in the morning. Which wouldn't have been bad if I didn't have to get up at 9 to take my best friend Andrew to the airport. He'll be in Washington state for a month.

Tonight is my roomate and close friend Jake moore's going away party. He got a job in San Francisco and is moving there next week. I'm really gonna miss that kid.

Hopefully the next update won't be so far away next time. I just got caught up. Thanks for the support and patience. I need all the support I can get these days...

P.S. - I finally made a business card for abstract life. It will be laser cut out of metal or plexiglass. The backs will be spray painted black and the fronts cyan, magenta, and yellow. I'm super excited about them!

Well I've kind of slacked on updating the site this past week. Mostly it's been because I have not had a chance to slow down. I finished a new design for a shirt only. It will not be a poster. If it sounds familiar then you have probably watched bugs bunny at least once in your life. I also separated out my logo to press onto my shirts.
I got a chance to make some Mexican food like I've been wanting to. I made grilled chicken burrito's and refried beans. It was awesome!
Our friend Matt rode his bike over to the house one day and I had the chance to get back on a motorcycle for the first time in years. We also went over to a large field where Jake got the same opportunity. It was a pretty fun day.
I was also presented with a unique opportunity to go photograph my friend Scott drifting for an auto commercial for Joe Usry Auto in Jackson, MS. All the employees there were incredibly cool, helpful and hospitable. I got to watch some good drifting, funny moments, my car washed and cleaned out and then free lunch. Definitely an awesome way to spend a wednesday.
That weekend I did a ton of driving back and forth from Starkville and Memphis. I had to borrow my Dad's truck to bring back my light table and a few other things. When I finally got back home to Starkville I made some BBQ ribs and pork & beans for memorial day. I have to say they were great! Definitely need to make them more often.
On a kind of good, kind of bad note, I spent a bit of money this past week. I restocked my shirts to print on and I bought a 46" 1080p samsung LCD tv. It is probably one of the most awesome things I have ever bought for myself.
I did some more printing yesterday and intended on making up a screen but we were all out of emulsion up at the lab. When we order some more, I will start printing the new shirts, so keep checking back for that. Summer classes have started back, so time between posts might be q little longer than normal but there will still be updates every week or so.

Thanks for all the support and keep checking back for more.

This past week has been crazy. Moving around the house, doing tons of work, started my internship and trying not to go crazy. Haha
I finally worked on a logo I told my friend Scott that I would do for him. I haven't had much time to work on it but finally made some time for myself with a work day and got it done. I was really pleased with the way it turned out. Modern, tasteful, and different. I also started printing my new shirt design. I had issues with the ink laying down correctly so I just made up some posters for the time being.

I took a break from printing and designing for a couple of days to kind of relax and take it easy since I've been going non-stop. We had a BBQ night where I cooked some chicken and other things and just hung out. Our friend Matt brought his hooka over and we all had a go at that. Ever since an awesome restaurant in town changed hands, we haven't had a hooka bar to go to, so that was a nice treat. Later in the week, I made some chicken penne pasta that was killer!
I also got a wedding invitation in the mail from my old teacher and good friend Carey. He moved to New York but they are coming back to Starkville to get married. On the front of the envelope was my name hand drawn in an awesome type!

Another cool surprise, our friend Chris came up to hang out this weekend. I always know I'm gonna have a good weekend if he comes up. Haha We took a small trip to Tupelo to go to the mall out there. I found a few cool items I would've liked to buy but chose to wait. I have to spend money in other places right now. Needs>Wants. Haha
I haven't left the screen-printing studio this past week it feels like. I helped my friend Matt Lanke print some shirts that he's been wanting to make and they turned out awesome! The splatter looks amazing on the shirts. We also taught Chris how to print yesterday. He had a couple shirts he wanted made for a while so we did that all day yesterday after a Doctor Who marathon we decided to start. While we were printing his shirts I decided to give mine another go and FINALLY got it to work and printed a few up. I have another design that I'll be finishing up today when I get off work. So be looking for that. (hint: it has to do with looney tunes)

I forgot to mention the farmers market this past Saturday was pretty fun with everyone there. I only sold one poster but hanging out with everyone was totally worth it even though it was uncomfortably hot.

Molly's fundraiser for Smithville is this Friday, so I will be working my ass off this week getting ready for it and other things. So keep checking back for updates and feel free to email me if you have any questions, comments, or want something posted on these sites. Also telling friends or posting about my site is ALWAYS appreciated. ^_^

Thanks for all the support!