The days when a JanSport backpack made up in only 4  simple colors is wayyyy OVER! Also, remember when the only way to personalize your pack was with a white out pen + 15 of your closest friends at lunch break in middle school…. again, soooo OVER!   Below is a preview of a few designs that I worked on last year along with a couple key colors that are among first to hit for the spring 2012 season!  They are hitting the Tilly’s stores across the US… they come in about every different flavor, just for your liking :) yum.

So, I know it has been quite awhile since I have been back here but I have been sooooo so sooo busy at work!!!  I cannot believe the summer has come & gone :( Now that it is back to school, I wanted to share a few of the fun projects that I have been working on (more pictures to come).  These Superbreaks are exclusive to Tillys for the season so check out the site! Ahhhhhhhh…. doesn’t it make you miss school just a little bit? Maybe not, haha.

summer is finally here!!!  i am slightly obsessed with this picture… the beach, the ocean, the air, the feel…. this should be the summer quote to live by, if it were only that easy….♥♥♥

(photo credit: unknown source/ quote: thechangingbuzz.com)

xoxo!

SUMMER LOOOVE!

I must admit, I do love billabong and the style/vibe that they give off in their women’s/juniors department.  Its very boho chic and relaxed so when they asked me to come in to design a few pieces for their line I was beyond excited!  I didn’t have a ton of time to put into these so they are both pretty simple but I’m pleased :)!

In one of the designs I took a little phrase from one of my favorite summer poems:  ”with the fading summer sun, I longed for a new place to steal away. where there’s always another chapter to be read, another story to be written, another scene to be played out”.

xoxo!

In the hopes that Spring is finally here I am posting a little hummingbird watercolor illustration that I designed for VOLCOM in ’10.

xoxo!

Over the summer of ’10 I did some work for the little girls department at Old Navy.  It was a ton of fun getting into the mind of a five year old while I was working on these, which I admit is not too hard for me :)

Here are a few of my designs that have hit stores January-April 2011.  LOVE!

xoxo!

 "if you live to be a hundred, i want to live to be a hundred

          minus one day so i would never have to live without you"

xoxo,
tcb

After staying at a chic, dog friendly hotel in Santa Barbara I learned of an amazing organization that helps shelter & rescue animals by providing them with some of the basic necessities while they’re trying to be adopted out.  Operation Blankets of Love is a non-profit organization that collects and distributes new and recycled blankets, comforters, towels, toys and other pet related items to different shelters around the southern California area (click here to see all of the current locations).  These basic items are proven to lower the animals stress levels, helps keep them comfortable and in return that lowers euthanization rates because the animal is much less aggressive & anxious.   Think about it for a second; if you have ever been to an animal shelter you have probably seen a poor, scared dog tucked away in the corner.  They usually aren’t being very social, probably stressed out of their mind and barking at each person that passes them.  Your first impression probably isn’t a very good one.  Could you, yourself imagine being in a similar situation; trapped in a cold, concrete room with out anything to keep you busy or to keep you warm?  Think of how irritable you would be!  Well, animals are the exact same way.  According to The Humane Society of the United States, 4 million dogs & cats are put down which is like one every eight seconds.  Not only does Operation Blankets of Love pamper shelter animals with a little love they also find abused, neglected and sick dogs homes.  They really are like a 911 call for all animals and animal organizations out there.

Most people around me know that I have rescued both my Chihuahua, Diego & my chi-weenie, Penny from shelters and possibly from a future of being euthanized.  When I adopted Penny, the vet assistant said that she had aggression issues and that basically she was an unadoptable dog.  She was scared, starved, abused and uncomfortable being kept in a cold cage for over three months (the majority of dogs in shelters are only kept around 72 hours before they are put down)!!  Despite what we were told we all took a chance on her and she has turned out to be the friendliest dog I have ever come across to this day (with ZERO training on my part).  She has never bitten anyone, loves life and is amazing with kids, so, when I came across Operation Blankets of Love it made me realize that if Penny had a cozy little bed inside that cage she would have felt more relaxed and warm and probably would have been adopted out a lot faster, she was lucky because she had time on her side and most dogs don’t.  I am always wanting to help out rescue dogs from the high risk kill shelters but that takes a lot more space than I have living in San Francisco.  I don’t have a yard, extra room and already have two pups of my own, but, Operation Blankets of Love really makes it so easy to help out and even though it seems like such a simple idea it really adds up into something huge which ends up saving thousands of animal lives a year just by making them more comfortable and more adoptable.  Below is a little info on how to get started…

So here is how the progress goes…

I contacted, Elieen (818-402-6586 or email: eileenobol@aol.com), the founder of Operation Blankets of Love, to see if I could get something started up in the San Francisco bay area.   Elieen was super friendly, very motivating and eager to help me out.  I work for JanSport, which is a part the huge corporation, Vanity Fair.  VF is an amazing company to be a part of and they are always looking for volunteer opportunities for their employees, so I set up a meeting with our HR department to discuss holding a blanket drive.  JanSport shares our headquarters with The North Face and Lucy so there are hundreds of employees that walk through the front doors daily (most being animal lovers as well), so I knew that this would be the perfect place to host a blanket drive.  My meeting is set up for next week so I plan to keep you all updated on my progress and to show you just how easy it is to put on one of these events from the ground up.  They can be put on at pet stores, schools, office buildings, basically anywhere that has a little bit of extra space.  Seriously, who doesn’t have drawers full of old towels, blankets, comforters and toys?!?   I am also planning on designing a few different flyers for my blanket drive and I will upload them on to The Changing Buzz, so anyone can use them for their own blanket drive.  It’s a new year, become inspired, don’t ignore this huge problem & help out… its super easy!

xoxo,

tcb

ps: check out Operation Blankets of love below on Animal Planets show, Pit Boss.

a day at the park with my loves

xoxo.

a sweet farewell to 2010 &
wishing you a wonderful 2011….xoxo

♥♥♥