Inspiration of the Month {February}

I recently stumbled upon photography mastermind Kyle Thompson, a 21-year-old photographer from Chicago. As seen in a majority of his photos, he is particularly inspired by abandoned houses, forests, and horror movies. I personally find a great deal of inspiration from abandoned or run-down places, so I find his work to be especially intriguing. Many of his photographs seem to tie fantasy and reality together seamlessly in a haunting fashion. Each photograph stands on its own as a piece of art with a powerful presence and emotional connection. I love that he makes a point to create nonexistent moments rather than simply capturing existing moments.

Just last week, I finally got the chance to watch The Breakfast Club. Classic coming-of-age 80s movie. I had no idea of the greatness I was missing out on. It far exceeded my expectations and left me speechless with that hugely satisfying feeling after watching an exceptional film. I genuinely loved every second of it; made it onto my list of favorite movies. The Breakfast Club teaches us that everyone, and I mean everyone, is struggling with something, whether they show it or not. So let us all get to know one another before judging people at face value. We're all human, and we all have stories. And it's okay to be vulnerable. "We're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that's all." Sincerely, The Breakfast Club. *cue "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds*

For those of you who know me, it's definitely no secret that I love folk rock music. I recently discovered an indie folk band called Bennett, and I cannot stop listening to them. Their sound is reminiscent of Mumford & Sons and The Head and the Heart, though they definitely add their own special twist. Incredible harmonies and instrumentation. This "group of brothers at heart" definitely deserves to be heard. My favorites are "Old Time Father" and "Days Are Running," but all of their songs are worth listening to. Check out their music at http://bennettband.bandcamp.com! Hope you enjoy them as much as I do. :)

While we're on the topic of music, I'll share another band that's been on my radar. A friend of mine introduced me to History of Painters, an alternative/folk band from San Luis Obispo. I can't get enough of their uplifting melodies and heartwarming lyrics. Earlier today they played at Cal Poly's UU Concerts in the Plaza, so I got the chance to see them perform live. They truly are amazing musicians, and their sweet, down-to-earth personalities are reflected in their music. Definitely give them a listen on Spotify! Recently I've been especially loving "Blue Dress" and "Loveliest". Let me know what you think! :)

If you're a graphic designer, illustrator, or even just a design enthusiast, this website will likely get you pumped. http://color.hailpixel.com allows you to move your mouse back and forth to adjust hue, lightness, and saturation, and then save hex codes for certain colors with a simple click. I've already utilized this lovely website to find suitable colors for multiple design projects. And sometimes it's just fun to mess around with! Here's a screenshot of what the site looks like once you've saved several colors. Go check it out for yourself!

xx Kristin

P.S. What music have you been listening to lately? I would love some recommendations!

Keep Calm and Hack On

I participated in the Evernote Cal Poly Hackathon this weekend, and it was truly an incredible experience. I started out extremely nervous and not knowing what to expect, but I couldn't be happier with the results. Though I didn't get any sleep for 30 hours straight, I feel like the hackathon definitely challenged me and helped me grow as a designer.

I worked with two other graphic designers to create the designs for a new iPhone app. Since we didn't have a developer on our team and had minimal experience with html and CSS, our app was not actually functional; we simply focused on the design aspect and the details of each page. I came up with the idea of creating a MobileCloset app that allows you to digitize your closet, organize/search clothing by tags, and share outfits through popular social networking sites. Instead of making a mess of your closet every morning, you can conveniently scroll through your entire wardrobe right from your phone. We decided our app should be targeted toward younger millennial women, so we settled on a delicate, pastel, feminine design aesthetic. After choosing our main colors and creating a simple logo, we immediately began designing each page of our app. We started at about 9am and worked nonstop all through the night until 11am the next morning...almost 26 hours. My hands were definitely sore by the end of it, and every ounce of energy was drained from my body. So worth it.

Our team ended up winning Best Overall Design effort, but most importantly, I had tons of fun and would be happy to do it again. Working with Evernote was such a pleasure and I absolutely love the culture of their company. They provided a few workshops on design and development and supplied amazing meals and support for us throughout the hackathon. Pictured below is the mood board I threw together for inspiration and to get a feel for what we wanted our app to look like. Below the mood board, I included a few frames from our app designs. Hopefully our designs can someday be developed into a fully functioning iPhone app!

xx Kristin

Inspiration Palette {Valentine's Day}

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! I thought I'd throw together a little inspiration to celebrate this day of infinite love. Whether you're spending the day with best friends, your dog, or your significant other, let today be filled with heartwarming smiles, endless laughter, and (most of all) love. And probably some cookies. Well, definitely some cookies.

xx Kristin

P.S. Does anyone have any special Valentine's Day plans? :)

Inspiration Palette {Yellow}

Happy February, everyone! I'm starting a little thing on my blog I'd like to call "inspiration palettes" where I throw together several photos of things that I like. They will each have a general color theme, and I'll post them sporadically, whenever I'm feeling inspired. Hope you enjoy! :)

xx Kristin

*Note: I do not own any of the photos used in my inspiration palettes.