the Roses

Arizona Trail Segment

2016-03-20T13:13:00.001-07:00

During spring break, we got to go to Payson for a day trip. A lot of the roads to trails were closed, but we managed to find this awesome trail. It's across the highway from the ranger's station up on the rim, and you drive about a mile on the dirt road until you see the hiking symbol where the trail crosses the road. (If you would like more detailed instructions, just comment below!) We just took it from there. It's a little segment of the Arizona Trail (which in total is about 800 miles). It was nice to get away and to even see a bit of snow. Hopefully one day, we'll be able to check out the rest of the trail, even if in sections. Hope you enjoyed your spring break! -B&R

Break

2015-09-14T20:12:00.001-07:00

We had the chance to have a quick getaway last weekend. We visited our friends up in Flagstaff, and enjoyed a lovely hike. Just wanted to share a few photos I thought were cute of us. Hope your week is starting off great!

West Fork Hike

2015-06-23T13:16:00.000-07:00

Greeting our sixth year of matrimony with a hike at West Fork, Sedona, Arizona. Life has been so lovely and fun being married to my cutie.

Big Sur

2015-06-07T09:04:00.000-07:00

Big Sur is one of the greatest places I've been.
We just got back from camping there, fulfilling a wish of a moody teenager from ages past. I had driven through in the early 2000s in the back of my parent's van, while reading Morrissey and Marr, A Severed Alliance and was struck by the beauty around me. I couldn't believe a place like that existed in California where in my mind it only consisted of busy cities and fake landscaping.

When I got back to school in the Fall, I found a book by accident, called Big Sur. I wasn't really aware of it's surrounding hype from the 60s but I really loved it, and ever since have wanted to stay in a little cabin in the wooded sea shore. Of course I didn't find a desolate little cabin to stay in this time around, but camping was an excellent substitute.

Hwy 1 is spectacular. We loved the winding, narrow road. Approaching Big Sur, fog began encroaching on us over the mountain ridges. The evergreens began popping up in patches, and sandy coves with fat-bodied sea lions would give us a sneaky glance every once-in-awhile too.

It's just a perfect place to be. For us, it warmed our souls, and it felt like we had come to a place of renewal. The excitement of seeing new things and exploration lying ahead lended us to feeling like spoiled little children.

So go. We have recommendations for camp sites, hiking, and views. If you need help planning, leave me a comment below!

Check these out:

Big Sur Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

Carmel by the Sea From Scratch

Santa Cruz Verve

"Better Food, Better Life" — Jamie Oliver

2015-05-02T22:58:00.001-07:00

A tribute to chef and entrepreneur, Jamie Oliver. Design and Illustration by Rachel Rose, 2015.

Lantern Festival Banners

2015-02-17T20:18:00.001-07:00

A few drafts of the project I'm working on. Created for a web banner leaderboard application. We all liked different ones. I like the last one. Billy likes the 2nd one, my classmates like the 2nd and 3rd one, my teacher likes the 1st one. Ah! It's crazy how many perspectives there are for one design.

Font List:
Couture Bold
Champagne and Limousines

A Day at the Japanese Friendship Garden

2014-12-15T19:42:00.001-07:00

We were able to spend a Saturday together at the Japanese Friendship Garden, downtown. More pics to come.
-Billy

The Little Brew Branding Sheet

2014-11-22T23:24:00.000-07:00

Just practicing with creating a branding sheet for potential clients. I used a logo Billy and I worked on for our friends Justin and Lindsey last year and embellished on it. I'm wanting to get better at presenting my ideas more professionally, especially to future clients. Fun times, good learning.

My process: I inverted the black logo to white and put it on a neutral grey background to give them a different feel. I also incorporated a logo I had designed (that our clients didn't end up using, but I still like it) so that they could have the option of shortening their name for specific uses such as use as a favicon, facebook or other social media icons; or once people get to know them more it could be an easy transition for quick branding on coffee cups or merchandise.

Next, I set up a whole branding look with stationary, business card, mobile view, stamp, and coffee sleeve. Our client's don't have a website besides facebook right now, but I wanted to give them a view of how it might look on a mobile device with easy to understand icons for the site's pages.

Lastly, I created a desktop version of how the site might look. It's very simple, but easy for customers to use. If our clients wanted to update it themselves, it would be straight-forward enough for them to do so. I might add the icons from the mobile view to the desktop view for continuity within the nav, and perhaps a few more photos of the building, or people enjoying their coffee on the home page.

Programs: InDesign and Photoshop CC.

Design Process for Braumeister's Wife

2014-11-02T22:12:00.001-07:00

I have had my new re-design for my food blog up since September, and I really like it. I just found my process file when I was making a new sidebar ad so I thought it would be fun to share. I know some of you are into this design thing too. I think it's fun to see the different variations, although even now when viewing them, it is SO daunting to choose my favorite. The bottom is the complete header I went with of course, but the other concepts seem very appealing to me as well. I always have my handy dandy husband help me analyze the best fit, and call for back up when I'm really stressed about the choices. It has taken time, but I've learned to love feedback; learning to hear the opinion of people who I respect (in terms of artists and designers) but to still go with my gut feeling and trust myself. Oh, and in case you don't know my food blog is braumeisterswife.com! Thanks for checking it out:)

Font List:
Castro Script
Comfortaa
Source Sans Pro
Didot
Learning Curve Pro
Georgia

Pumpkins ...and Sun Protection

2014-10-26T13:13:00.000-07:00

I spent some time with my sister and her boyfriend last weekend at a cute little farm in North Scottsdale. They had a petting zoo with a pumpkin patch, not fields of pumpkins like we're used to, but it was still fun and festive for sure. Cute sister pics. I need to have a Fall day with my other sis now, we're thinking of painting on pumpkins and decorating. What have you been up to to welcome the new season?

I can't sign off without mentioning something these photos symbolize for me. A couple years ago we went to the pumpkin patch with my mom and she was wearing this same hat.

I want to carry on something from her into mine and my sisters lives today. It also might apply to you too. I've been getting much better at my sun protection! I have been wearing sun protection gear; the hat pictured here is from Coolibar, really great wear that contains spf to help block you from harmful UV rays. I'm also wearing my daily sunscreen, 50 spf on my face by Kiss My Face, and a generic sports sunscreen on the rest of me. I have mentioned it before, but it's really important to be sun conscious especially for those of us who have skin cancer in our family history. You still get your vitamin D if you wear sunscreen, and all you really need is ten minutes a day of sun exposed skin, which could be a spot on the back of your neck that you missed for example, or your toes, or in between your fingers.. ever think of what is still exposed even after you apply sunscreen? Or if you apply sunscreen, it takes 10-15 minutes anyways before it will actually be protecting you. If you are a daily sunscreen wearer like me, it might behoove you to check out your sunscreen's ingredients, and research what is best for you. I am at high risk for skin cancer, so I also visit my dermatologist every six months to follow up on moles, freckles, etc. If you haven't gotten your spots documented please do!

A big thing I learned from my dermatologist is in regards to pregnancy and hormones, so this applies to most of my friends right now so read this!!! Your moles react like crazy to your hormones during and after pregnancy. Get your moles checked before you even plan on getting pregnant, once during, and after you have the baby. This is huge for me to mention because as most of you know, my mom had skin cancer and ended up passing away in her early fifties from it, but there was a history intrinsically linked to hormones. Her moles reacted to pregnancy hormones in her early thirties. She had a mole removed that was cancerous, and later on because of menopausal hormones, and other factors such as stress; cancer came back in a huge and dark way. During times of hormonal changes please, please, please, CHECK YOUR MOLES. Don't be lazy about it. Go get your skin checked out, and find out if you might be more susceptible to skin cancer according to the Fitzpatrick Scale. Also be sun smart. If you don't like sunscreen: wear darker colored clothes; use a dark umbrella, even better one with spf; use baby car shades; wear lots of hats; and an odd last thing to throw at you, eat organic dark leafy greens, and one raw carrot a day (not baby carrots or cooked) especially if you are needing to be outside more.

So I love you all, and hope today's rant is an encouragement to be better at your skin care protection. I don't mean to scare anyone, I just know that prevention is much easier to tackle than cancer is to tackle. My mom loved life and didn't want to give up the things she loved, which was mostly outdoor activities. She was an avid hiker, walker, and beach lover. Anytime she was off work she always made time for the outdoors. I had many years with her and observed these things in regards to sun protection: she would apply a minimum spf (15-30) sunscreen if she planned on being outside for an hour or more; she would only wear hats if we were outside for more than a couple hours; she always sought the shade, no matter what. In the reverse, I know things she did before mid-thirties, she tanned like crazy, which beautiful lady in the 80s didn't? When she was a little older, I think she wore a daily spf in her foundation like 15 spf, but not over her whole body, and not really a high enough spf when she did wear it. Internally, I know she also struggled with some dark things.

Trying to absorb this I know she would want me and my sisters to live a long healthy life (so trying to the best of our abilities, within common grace of course!). So let me break it down (if you have any tips, please comment below!!) It's sunscreen everyday for me if I face the sun at all. It's wearing hats anytime I'm on a walk or hike. It's wearing sun protective clothes. Even if I'm in the shade, I have to double check that I'm wearing adequate sunscreen. Besides the stuff we can do on the outside, keep an eye on your stress levels! Stress linked with hormones is a deadly combination. My mom's oncologist pegged this as the main cause of her reoccurring cancer. Even though she did the following things I'm about to mention, I saw into her heart, and knew she carried heavy burdens. I don't know what to say about it in retrospect because we are all human and I'm not saying she didn't do the following, but I guess it gives it more importance to us today now, that it is serious to let your worries go. So seek peace, seek God and his grace, exercise, talk with friends about problems, don't bottle it up inside, do creative things, dance, do art, sing along with music. Remember to smile. It's a weird thing to practice, but it really does help to lift the spirit. Who knows what and if anything could've changed for my mom's external/internal circumstances to make it different, but trying to proceed with grace is all I want to do, in the here and now.

Again I love you all and wish you the best in facing this weird and yet beautiful life. We're in it together, and that's what helps me to be grateful everyday, with joy in my heart. So thank you!:)

Cheers to a great October!

Important links for research purposes:

http://www.okicent.org/study.html

http://empoweredsustenance.com/balance-hormones/

Skincare with Love. Natural and SOKO Inspired!

2014-09-19T11:44:00.000-07:00

Skincare with Love, or also known as "What's in my bag?" or ...bathroom cabinet really. I had so much fun with posting about my Green Tea and Rice Water Toner that I wanted to post about my full skincare lineup. So I set up a cute little photo session of all of the products I use, and I really surprised myself! I couldn't believe I use all of this on my skin! I guess I really have adapted to the Soko beauty regimen after all. Layering upon layering. Increase the glow, decrease the wrinkles (although inevitable of course I know!); but we can age with grace right? So let me first say, if you have any questions at all I would love to talk skincare, it's just so fun, so please leave a comment below and I'll get back to you! Now, on to the lineup! I'm going to list this in order of how I use it on my face / skin daily and weekly.

#1 Honey. Pictured above it's the little glass jar with a white lid on the bottom right. I use this as a moisturizing cleanser once a day. You can also leave on your skin for a few minutes as a nice mask. I use natural, local, dark, honey. I alternate between this and the combo of oil cleanser/ foam cleanser.

#2 Rice Water Oil Cleanser, by Face Shop via Soko Glam. Pictured above it's on the right side of the photo with a black pump and pinkish bottle. If on the alternate side of the day from honey, I use the oil cleanser on dry skin. Rub it in, add a little water until it slightly foams, rinse off.

#3 Aloe Foaming Cleanser, by Skinfood via Soko Glam. Pictured above it's on the right side of the photo, it's the green bottle. I use this following the oil cleanser, or by itself after a workout.

#4 Black Sugar Mask, by Skinfood via Soko Glam. Pictured above it's hard to see. In the basket, only the white rim of the lid is showing. It's great for exfoliating and doubles as a mask to increase cell turn-over. I exfoliate everyday but each day, do it differently. This Black Sugar Mask is my most intense scrub. I use it only twice a week. The other days I use a less abrasive scrub that is mostly product with a little soft grain to it. My last way of exfoliating is plain yogurt. The yogurt is great for sensitive skin types and really leaves your skin fresh. It works by using lactic acid, so it's doing the work for you rather than a physical scrub.

#5 Green Tea and Rice Water Toner. Pictured above it's in the middle with a white lid and milky transparent bottle. I use this after getting out of the shower or after cleansing my face. Spritz on for pH leveling before adding moisturizers.

#6 Jojoba Oil, by Desert Essence. Or use Rose Hip Seed Oil. Great oils for sensitive yet acne prone skin. Apply sparingly, patting into skin.

#7 Face mask or face mask serum. Pictured above is hard to see in the back of the basket. Either apply a face mask at this point, or a silky serum. I use a professional grade facial mask by Satin Smooth Ultimate, and then save the serum in the packs in a glass lidded jar. Apply to face by patting in if using the serum.

#8 1000 Roses Serum, by Andalou Naturals. Pictured above in the front left, in a cute little pink bottle with dropper. I love this stuff! Drop a little into your hand, pat into your skin.

#9 Almond-Aloe Moisturizer, by Earth Science. Pictured above in the front left in a white bottle with orange. I use as a daily moisturizer or alternate with coconut oil. Dab in to skin.

#10 Coconut oil, not pictured above. I use as a moisturizer when I want to be 100% natural, like by using the honey, jojoba oil, and the coconut oil. I do this at night sometimes when my skin has a little acne and needs to breathe. Avoid eyes. I follow up with tea tree oil on these nights. (To use coconut oil as a makeup remover read my notes under "Cotton Balls" below for tips and tricks.)

#11 Apricot Intensive Night Cream, by Earth Science. I use this before bed only. Just dab on a little amount over face.

#12 Tea Tree Oil, by NOW Essential Oils. I use when I have any acne. At night before bed just dab on minimally to spots. Don't overdo it. Wash hands after using because it stings your eyes.

#13 Alaffia Coconut Body Lotion. Daily body moisturizer.

#14 Not pictured above, Kiss My Face, Face Factor 50 spf Sunscreen. Use daily before heading out into the world. I am at high risk for skin cancer so I'm one of those who has to wear it daily. The Soko Glam guidelines also recommend it daily too, to prevent sun damage and wrinkles. So I'm in good company. I researched sunscreen like crazy to make sure I can still get my vitamin D even if I wear sunscreen, and yes you still do! Also, make sure to buy as natural of a sunscreen as you can so your body doesn't have to constantly be processing icky chemicals.

#15 Alba Hawaiian Sunscreen 45 spf. Apply daily to skin exposed to sun. Reinforce sun protection by using a hat, umbrella, and/or clothes that contain sun protection. If the sunscreen you've applied seems a little greasy, simply apply a baby powder (or cornstarch) with a makeup brush, around your hair line and back of neck, or wherever you feel you need it. Avoid cheeks and main part of face because it will dry you out way too much!

Other products pictured above:

Cotton balls. Dab cotton ball (not soaked) in coconut oil and use as a make up remover. The coconut oil will linger in your eyes and on your eyelashes so immediately after removing makeup, rinse your eye area with plenty of water. If any coconut oil gets in your eyes, dampen a clean towel and hold it over your closed eyes, firmly pressing. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute. Completely dry. Repeat process again if need be. Proceed with skincare regimen by starting at top of list above.

Clean facial towels. Don't reuse facial towels. Use a clean, dry one every time. And remember to only pat not rub.

Dry Brush. I dry brush before bathing once a day. Gently use the dry brush in circular motions. Feet to legs to belly. Then fingers to hands to arms to back and chest. Then finish in a counter clockwise motion over your belly.

Hair clip. I clip up my hair after shampooing and conditioning in the shower so the products don't rest on my back and neck. This helps decrease acne in those areas. After getting out of the shower, I brush my hair and again clip it up to dry for 30 minutes rather than using a blow dryer. I live in Phoenix though, so my hair dries really quick here!

Body buff. Pictured right under the dry brush in the photo, it's white. I lather this up to exfoliate my entire skin in the shower twice or three times a week, especially after a work out.

So hopefully that helps to have a visual representation of what I've been talking about with layering all of these products. If you want to know more about my overall health philosophies, I wrote up an informational page on Braumeister's Wife. Read it here: Health. Best wishes to you and your beautiful skin!
Love, Rachel

More POP Pilates Recommended Workouts!

2014-09-18T20:00:00.002-07:00

I'm still keeping up with POP Pilates. Really if you haven't given this a try yet, you really should at least try the beginner's workout (the top video). I love the short and effective videos, so if I have more time I can even do two or three at a time. The second video is great because it has a lot of different moves that appeal to the ballerina in me. Hope you like them, and happy staying fit!

Ink Drawing

2014-09-06T15:01:00.001-07:00

INK DRAWING. RACHEL ROSE. 2014.

Green Tea and Rice Water Facial Toner plus New Routine

2014-09-05T14:18:00.000-07:00

Today I wanted to share about a new facial toner I've created. First, a little bit of story to help fill in the gaps. I have been ritually following natural skin care for a couple years now and have loved my new face (well essentially just the smooth, bright, and glowing skin!). Recently, we moved to the Phoenix area and if you are familiar with this city, you know how awful the water is here straight from the tap. I don't have the extra funds right now to install a filtering system for my shower head or sink, so my skin has been getting loads of chemicals and lovely things caused by it. Billy and I were breaking out a little bit since the move, so I went to my favorite beauty experts and found some new ways to help combat the problem. As we all know, your skin gets used to things easily so it's good to switch it up every year or so anyways.

My research began with Soko Glam. I love Soko Glam. I had written a post awhile ago on the Rice Water Cleanser which was my first experience with this blog and beauty company. I researched a little bit about the curator's beauty rituals and asked Billy if he wanted to do the challenge with me. It's a bit more intense than what we are used to, but I wanted to see clean pores, and glowing skin! So Billy agreed to join me and it has been a lot of fun!

Here is a basic rundown of our new routine. I have adjusted it for my needs and the products I have on hand. Over time I would like to include using an essence and more face masks! For fuller instructions please visit: Charlotte Cho's Blog

1st Double Cleanse. Oil based cleanser first, followed up by a foaming type cleanser.

2nd Scrub. I use a black sugar scrub. Use it on problem areas only 3 - 4 times a week, depending on your need and sensitivity. On the off days do your facial massage.

3rd Toner. Here is where my new Green Tea and Rice Water Toner comes in. Spritz all over face. Dab in. Wait for 45 seconds before applying next step.

4th Lighter / Milky Serum. Rose hip seed serum. Dab in. Wait for 45 seconds before applying next step.

5th Facial Oil. Jojoba OR Rose Hip Seed oil. Dab in. Wait for 45 seconds before applying next step.

6th Heavier Serum. I use a collagen serum with Rose Water essence. Wait for 45 seconds before applying next step.

7th Light Lotion. Daily lotion. Dab in. Wait for 45 seconds before applying next step.

8th Sunscreen / Night Lotion. Apply either depending on the time of day. Sunscreen in the AM use a SPF 50+ with natural ingredients, avoid harsh chemicals if you can. Night lotion in the PM right before bed. Use a natural ingredient based lotion, or coconut oil.

Other Notes: Check out Face Mask Sheets. Choose from a myriad of choices such as: Cleansing, Moisturizing, Antioxidants, etc. Apply face masks after cleansing, skip the scrub, proceed to next steps. These are amazing and help you to completely relax!

Now for the Green Tea and Rice Water Toner Recipe! I have been concocting my own facial products for the last two years. This one is my favorite by far that I have created. I hope you like it too. The reason I decided to make it was because I wanted to re-introduce green tea into my facial routine, but still keep my regular rice water in play. So I thought why not combine the two? This mix has great potential for changing your skin's dullness into glowing radiance.

The green tea is full of antioxidants to shield your skin from harsh environmental pollutants. The green tea will also help to balance the good and bad bacteria that is on your skin (helping with redness and acne), as well as helping maintain a proper pH level (to help your skin stay moisturized after you apply lotion).

The rice water is a lovely, lovely thing. I used it straight on my skin for a long time and the results were a smoother facial texture, smaller pores, an even complexion (because rice water lightens skin and redness), assists with proper pH level. The protein in the rice water will help to restore your skin making it smoother to the touch as well as visually smoother. Click here for Rice Water Toner Recipe

RECIPE
Green Tea Rice Water Facial Toner
1 cup distilled water
2 tbsp dried loose green tea leaves, organic
1/4 cup dried jasmine rice, preferably organic

Place the green tea leaves and rice in the distilled water. Stir well. Let sit over the span of an hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so. Strain mixture into sterile, lidded container, or spritzer. I set a funnel into the opening of the spritzer, then set the strainer inside of the funnel. I then carefully poured the infused water through.

Keep the toner in the fridge because there are no preservatives. Rice will begin to ferment within a day and gets quite stinky if not refrigerated! In the fridge, it will last for 3 - 5 weeks.

To use, spritz on face, and gently dab into skin. Let air dry, do not rinse. Proceed to next step in facial care routine.

NOTE: This recipe is NOT for consumption, for external use only.

Moving On

2014-08-26T07:56:00.000-07:00

I once lived in a musty, turn of the century, little brick apartment down town Prescott. Up to that point I had always dreamed of living somewhere like that. A place that was antiquated in the best possible ways, with quirks that would take getting used to. I used to dream of a brick building with my own business underneath, particularly selling records, coffee, and having shows. I guess it was a very similar dream for many of my friends at the time. This apartment came to me when I was least seeking it out. I was only concerned about finding any affordable place, anything where we could have our own home, yet be able to pay for everything too without feeling too crunched for money. When I was younger thinking about the place, money was never a concern; it's funny how things change so.

The day we moved in, it was raining incredibly more than it had been all week, go figure. Our stuff got drenched, the boxes smelt like wet cats, we were soaked to the bone, the truck we borrowed from my dad got a little banged up... I've noticed in life though, and I had thought of it before this particularly rough day thankfully, that when the start up is rocky, the outcome shines. So even though our move-in day appeared to be lousy and our hearts were heavy (we had dealt with the rain like champs, but the truck damage did us in) I was excited for what was to come in the next year. I knew the studio would be perfect for us. It presented new challenges such as limiting our stuff, really cutting down on extra things we didn't need, living together as if we only had a bedroom to share and no places of respite, entertaining guests who would have the new experience of sleeping on their hosts floor right next to them in bed (awkward? more just hilarious). It was a good time of re-thinking what was important to us. I came out of it loving change, whereas before I dreaded change.

Leaving our apartment a year later, I felt like our time there was really fulfilling. I didn't want to continue living there, I was eager to see what else was in our future. My heart was in our studio, and all of the times spent there were perfect times; but I knew that growth started to happen where we weren't fitting in that small space anymore. I was growing out of it in my heart. It wasn't an accumulation of things, it was an accumulation of heart. I wanted to see a new city, and eventually start seeing places around the world, and I knew I couldn't do that if I had remained where I was.

Now I'm here in a new house and it's suiting me just fine. Circumstances surrounding the physical are still not really too concrete for me and I want them to be, but I'm happy I challenged myself to embrace change. I want to find a rhythm here and feel like its home, but when that moment comes, it will inevitably be time to move on to something else completely new again.

Oh the cycles of life, where we desire, grow, learn, and move on once again ...

Working On Balance ...

2014-08-25T17:47:00.002-07:00

I started working out again. It's been awhile, probably about 4 years. In between I've been choosing to work my heart and self by walking, hiking, and stretching. Since I have been watching Billy get serious about getting fit and healthy, I decided to start it up again. I am not a fan of cardio so can't keep up with Billy's routine, such as the Insanity workout, so I found a workout I like called POP Pilates on You Tube. I like her positive attitude and the workouts are very challenging, so it's nice to be pushed in both staying positive emotionally and keep going physically. Just thought I'd share it in case you're looking for a new routine as well ... This is just one video out of MANY. So if you like it, just look her up on You Tube. Happy workout!

NES Fighter Jet Boy's Stationery

2014-08-21T10:53:00.001-07:00

Vote for our design! For Boys Stationery.

Uncertainty

2014-08-20T12:40:00.001-07:00

"Certainty is the mark of the commonsense life -- gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, not knowing what tomorrow may bring. This is generally expressed with a sigh of sadness, but it should be an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God. Leave everything to Him and it will be gloriously and graciously uncertain how He will come in -- but you can be certain that He will come. Remain faithful to Him."
- Oswald Chambers
My Utmost for His Highest

Thank you for the quote Ashley:)

Sketches + Watercolor

2014-08-14T20:22:00.002-07:00

MT. FUJI

CLOSE UP MT FUJI

GIRLISH FIGURE

Rachel Rose, 2014. Sketches + Watercolor.

Summer Design Challenge #4

2014-08-07T10:07:00.001-07:00

Summer is coming to a close. It seems like the longest summer I've had in awhile. Billy and I are now down in the Valley. We never thought Phoenix would be a place we would call home -- but here we are. And it's been fun and exciting thus far. We're living close to the ASU campus and sorting out what we want to do for work, but mostly just excited for school to start. This little design was something I was working out with a lot of trouble shooting and multiple revisions. I love the end result, realizing how long it can take to finally get to where you want it. I wanted to keep on my skills that I learned from Lauren last semester, and for this particular project I tried out my handlettering skills, as well as using Illustrator to finish the project. The more I use Illustrator the more I like it and realize the program's capabilities. So fun! Hope you had a great summer as well, full of fun and interesting things. I am looking forward to a new season of life, with so much change and excitement. Cheers!

Two are better than one,

because they have a good return for their labor:

If either of them falls down,

one can help the other up.

But pity anyone who falls

and has no one to help them up.

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.

But how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered,

two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

-Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (Full Verses)

Design contains abridged version

Remembering.

2014-07-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

Whenever I see a pink sunset, I like to think that it's my mom coming to visit me. Even if it's for a brief moment, I take the time to remember her. Her counsel, her embrace. Whatever it is in that moment that I miss about her. I learned a couple things about grieving most recently, due to reflecting and examining my own emotions in regards to moving. Things trigger other things all the time in matters of the heart. But what I learned is, during bouts of stress and great turmoil you don't have to pretend you got it all together when you're by yourself. Cry. Yell. Even assist it with allowing yourself to watch something sappy or listen to music that you can yell along with and/or cry outloud to. I realized this last season of immense stress that the outcome was sickness and icky things that come out when stress is dwelling within your body. I was even trying to find places of quietude and peace. Excercising. Eating right. It didn't help. One night as I was staring out at the pink sunset, the thought alighted on my mind like the lightest feather; God created us. He created the body's natural responses. Tears are okay. My mom had always told me I held everything in too tightly, and she would try to tell me that it was okay to cry, just cry if you need to. I always thought it was expressing weakness, and I wanted to be strong. But after that realization, that moment I felt God speak so quietly, that he created the ability for humans to cry. I also realized that for stress and anxiety in my life God created this natural outflow where tears could help you begin to heal. I wouldn't keep holding them in. And when I have cried, or yelled, since, I won't stop until I feel the sadness or badness has gone away too. This isn't something I've done with other people around of course, it's all very private when no one's around (ie driving in my car!). And it's not a bad thing either where I want people to read this and feel pity for me. My purpose in sharing these private thoughts is to maybe help someone else who is feeling overwhelmed by the burden of sadness or frustration. Stuff you can't help, but stuff you are forced to face. In my recent life the normally stressful move from one home to the next wasn't really the point of this overwhelmedness. It was the fact that I came here for my mom and although it's been a year and a few months since her last breath on earth, I'm leaving Prescott now. It shakes me to think I'm leaving the place I came to be with her, and now it's the end of a chapter.

Our Tiny Coolest Home

2014-07-03T21:06:00.001-07:00

Our Sweet Space. We'll really miss you
We love our tiny home. Last August we moved into this remodeled apartment in downtown Prescott, Arizona. The property owners / management were acquaintances of ours and soon to be friends. They took a year to re-do this flat through much blood, sweat, and tears. From taking down plaster walls to expose the beautiful brick, taking out old blue shag carpet to expose the beautiful hardwood floors beneath, remodeling the kitchen completely and giving it stainless steel finishes, and painting with just the right hues to make this place shine. We will be moving to the Phoenix area within the month and are very sad to say goodbye to this treasure. I wanted to take some photos to show off our cute little place, but to also document a home that inspired us and facilitated great memories.
Thanks Chelsea (Steve and Dylan too!)

Update: Thank you Apartment Therapy for featuring our little home! To see post: Rachel's Mountain View Studio Also for those of you who have sent inquiries, the space is already rented out after we leave. Thank you!

Wes Anderson Design Poster. Summer of Design Challenge #3

2014-06-23T19:42:00.001-07:00

Summer of Design Challenge #3. Wes Anderson design poster. A tribute. Layout/Design creative property © Rachel Rose, 2014. Original Photograph from Trendsplant via Luis Angel Perez Lopez.

How To Make Rice Water for a Glowing Complexion

2014-06-04T20:06:00.001-07:00

I posted on how to get glowing, beautiful skin, naturally a few weeks ago. I mentioned using rice water as a toner so I wanted to expound upon that concept. I was inspired by the line Tatcha through one of my favorite blogs, Epic Beauty Guide. I absolutely loved what those products did for skin, and if I had more of a disposable income I would definitely be investing into that line. I noticed their products contained rice water. Curious, I researched the process and benefits of rice water and loved what I learned. So I created my own pure rice water.

What I Do:

When I'm going to make jasmine rice with dinner (preferably organic) I rinse the rice as normal per Thai/Japanese recipes, but do the method a little more meticulously when preparing to use it for a beauty treatment.

-About 1 1/2 - 2 cups rice, preferably jasmine and organic if you can

-Enough filtered water to cover the rice

Place the rice in a sieve over a bowl where it fits comfortably inside.

Pour the filtered water over the rice and with a clean hand or sterile spoon stir the rice about 10 times around the sieve and bowl. You'll notice the water become white and cloudy.

Let the rice sit in the water for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the sieve from the water and proceed to cook the rice. Reserve the water left in the bowl.

Sterilize a glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Stir the water again to reincorporate the nutrients into the water from settling on the bottom of the bowl. Pour the just-stirred water into the glass jar. Close the jar and keep in the fridge up to 3 or 4 weeks.

Do not leave out at room temperature or it gets stinky, unfortunately I know this from personal experience.

To use:

Gently tilt the jar and pour about a tablespoon of the cold rice water into your clean hand. Splash it over your entire face (clean face). Tap around your skin and gently press into your skin. Don't rub or dry off. Keep massaging very gently until it absorbs.

Benefits I noticed:

Brightens complexion, clearer skin, less redness. Skin feels softer and smoother after use.

Check out the modified version of this: Green Tea Rice Water Toner

Japanese Love

2014-05-25T21:50:00.001-07:00

A cute little cover by the band Cymbals, of the Kink's Situation Vacant. One day I want to live in Japan or Korea… sigh…