In the Studio: Dip Dyeing and Straddling Screens

(1. Box of blank t-shirts received in the mail; 2. Dyeing day at the studio; 3. Dip dyed and washed waiting to be printed; 4. Designing the graphics; 5. Thrifted paintings bought for the frames. Used the frames for screens; 6. Screen burning kit; 7. Burning the first image; 8. When the bulb died, I found this to use; 9. Straddling the screen to hold it in place. Attractive, I know; 10. Printed shirts!)

The studio has been busy this past week! Mostly, I have been I have been working on this project for Health Simple Is, my Aunt Sue's nutrition business. We had a show at Room Full of Sisters in Auburn, NY and guess who joined us? None other than Miss Kirsten Nunez from Studs and Pearls!

I have missed this girl so much! We had a great time hanging out and of course, she brought a car full of projects so we could both work. Because we're crazy craft ladies.

A shot of our section of table above.

Have you ever screen printed before? Or dip-dyed anything? 

♥ K

p.s. To get immediate studio updates, follow me on Instagram: @mackenziegelina

The Real World:: This ain't no reality show

Post grad life is a funny thing.

While I was in college, I was so freaking excited that I was almost done with school. I was there for 5.5 years, ya'll. And RISD ain't no cake walk. 

I thought of all these cool projects that I could do without the opinions of the professors getting in my way. I thought of the freedom to do whatever I want, whenever I wanted to. I thought of the hours and hours of sleep that I would be getting in my comfy bed at home.

Then I had my final critique and they kicked me to the real world. To be like, a real person 'n stuff.

I said goodbyes and had final drinks with friends.

I packed up my life in two days.

I drove 6 hours back to my hometown. 

I slept for... a few days. 

I moved my studio into my parent's basement. (and realized that I had just fulfilled the typical college grad stereotype)

I had a few omg-I'm-a-real-person-now breakdowns which my wonderful mother calmed.

I did yoga and meditated on my post grad life.

And then I started a freaking business. WHAT!?

That might have been the scariest thing I've ever done. I didn't even want to announce that I got my DBA because I was scared shitless. Super excited but let's be real - who isn't scared when they start a business? I hope at least some people are scared like me!

It's a whole work in progress. There are TONS of questions that I have been asking friends and family who have small businesses. I have been scouring the internet for tax and marketing advice as well as finding print shops that meet my (very small) budget. 

Basically, right now, I have a DBA and the rest is... coming along. 

While all this real life crap is happening, I am also planning a gallery show of my work and working on products that I will be selling in another show. Both of these shows are happening in the first week of May. Right. 

To say I'm not busy is a huge understatement. But it's better to be busy than bored, right? 

If anyone has a small business and would like to offer any advice to a girl just starting out, it would be extremely appreciated!

♥ K 

And I'm back!

Hellooooo SOS-ers! 

Though my blog has been on hiatus for the past... has it been a year?, I am finally back! There has been a lot of changing in this past year or so, but I am ready to jump back in with ya'll.

The biggest change? I am officially a college graduate. Damn.

Still adjusting to that one. I'll elaborate on that later.

I'm going to try to update you on my last months of college through photos.

Part 1:

This will happen in sections as there are a lot of photos and I like to keep the suspense. But, along with more life photos, expect some changes around here! All good ones, I promise.

Glad to be back!

♥ K

The view from my balcony

I love fall in New England. It's so full of color and so nice to look out my back window and see this view in the middle of November! 

I have been very busy in studio lately working on projects for class. It's been a little crazy. After Thanksgiving break, finals are in full progress which is even more crazy, so I'm trying to keep my motivation going to get as much work done before break as possible. It gets hard to keep the motivation when break is so close you can smell it. And oh, it smells so good! Like, freedom and sleep.

♥ Kenzie

The last two weeks of my life.

Well, hey there! Can I update you on the past two weeks? Here goes nothing...

Lots of these.

Lots of time in here.

Weaving lots of "pavement"

Hanging out with this pretty girl as much as possible

And thennnnn ---

This weekend was Artist's Ball which is our huge costume party at RISD. I was a Hershey's Kiss!

I was getting putting on eyeliner and so not ready for this photo obviously... or maybe that's when I messed up my make-up... again.

A photo from Artist's Ball 

And then there were yummy cupcakes with wonderful people!

Nine super yummy cupcakes from Duck & Bunny

And fifteen minutes later...

I wouldn't say I've been busy, would you?
One more midterm to go. Are any of you in midterms right now? or as busy as I am?

♥ Kenzie

{Side note: Thank you to my friends for taking such great pictures that I can borrow :) Love you guysss!! hehe}

Learn

LEARN from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

I just ran into this series and it is beautiful. It reminds me of all the reasons I love traveling - meeting new people, eating and especially, learning. 

Experiencing a part of a different culture, while immersed in that environment, has always been one of my favorite things about traveling. It's like a drug to me. I just want more and more. I keep asking questions and trying to dig a little deeper. I have never really liked the tourist bit. I think it definitely has it's place, but as a lover of languages also, I would rather be struggling to learn the language while living in a native's house than listening to a tour guided in perfect English. I think that by living with a family in a foreign environment, even if you can't understand everything, you can come to respect the people and learn so much more about what's around you, wherever you are, whether it's across the US or across the world. 

Even just sitting down for a family dinner at someone else's table is an eye opening event. It's an experience that I hope every person gets to enjoy, really listen and learn from at some point in their life. It is truly one of my favorite things to do in other places and where I feel I learn the most about the family dynamics and how the culture works as a whole. Amazing what you can learn in a few short hours.

Tell me about your experiences. Near or far. Across town or across the world.

Share your stories or a little about your culture. Wherever you are from.

♥ Kenzie

Braided Pigtails

I've never really been great at braiding hair. Pigtail braids are fine. French braids are... messy. I'll go with the pigtails, thank you. 

I usually feel like a little girl again when I wear my hair like this, but I'm ok with it.

Anyone have braiding tips?

♥ Kenzie

Do you freeze your fruit?

I love frozen blueberries. If you've never had them, go get some, throw em in a plastic bag and into the freezer now. You won't be disappointed later today. 

These blueberries are from this summer. My mom had bought a whole bunch when they were in season and froze them to use later. Luckily, I grabbed a bag before I left for school. 

They are super yummy to snack on, especially on warm days like today. {83 degrees!? What happened to fall??} And even though there are sweet and cold like ice cream, they are healthy too. Awesome. What fruits do you freeze and use later?

Today will be filled with text books, knitting samples and lots of sun.

♥ Kenzie

Pumpkin Pie Fro Yo

Kirsten came and hung out in Providence with me this weekend. We had a great time filled with thrift shops, yummy food and lots of laughs. Oh yeah, and of course there was plenty of DIY talk!

We both got pumpkin pie fro yo right before she left along with a few other flavors and toppings mixed in. It was so delicious and the perfect way to finish out her visit. 

♥ Kenzie

Happy October!

I'm so excited for October. I'm planning on seeing some old friends, wearing lots of plaid and boots, thrifting, weaving, knitting and eating yummy comfort foods that make the chilly weather wonderful. I'd like to start some new fall traditions and do DIYs during my free time. My kitchen will be filled with yummy baked goods and warm cider. It's going to be a great month. 

What are your plans for October?

♥ Kenzie

Ohhhh back to school, back to school, to prove to Dad that I'm not a fool.

I always think of that song when I think of going back to school... 

I have History of Western Music and Weaving II today. Excited :) 

Are you doing anything fun and exciting today? What is it?

♥ Kenzie

Five Things :: Goals for this month

{source}

- Do little things to be healthier

- Take more photos

- Try out more hairstyles 

- Plan the work and work the plan

- Make daily rituals

All of these things may be a little general but I feel like they will help me start this semester out right. 

What are your goals this month?

♥ Kenzie

Hello again!

This has been my life for the past couple of weeks. Let me tell you a story. 

A couple thursdays ago, I traveled to Rhode Island. My car was loaded full of all of my things and I was headed back to school. My mom was going to arrive the next day to help me pack up and move my entire apartment two buildings down to my new apartment. 

About halfway through the drive, I got a call from the RISD Housing Coordinator saying that I might not be able to move in the next day and that they might have to turn off the power in my apartment for the weekend if the hurricane hit bad. Cool. I drove the remaining 3 hours and was so tired that I collapsed on the couch upon arrival, drinking some tea to wake up a bit in order to pack up my apartment in case I did end up moving the next day. I flipped through a few cable stations and made it to the weather report. Irene was headed our way and she was not happy, nor was I about her visit.

In the next couple of hours, I got a bunch of emails from RISD telling the students that were in summer housing how to prepare for a hurricane and be safe. I called my mom - "I don't know what to do." We talked and decided to wait until the next morning to look at the weather report and see if Irene got any happier. It wasn't looking good though. 

I woke up the next morning, watched the weather and still was not happy about what I saw. Being alone in my apartment through a huge hurricane was not what I had expected for this weekend. I called my mom again and we decided that I should come home. I drove the 6 hours back home, my car still packed full and felt a little relieved to not be in the Ocean State for a huge hurricane. 

So my car has been packed for about two weeks and my life has been crazy for the past two weeks. I'm back in the Ocean State now and finally have my new apartment a little settled. Thank god my parents came to help me because I could not have done this alone. They were amazing. It was insane. Honestly. 

I expect things to get back to normal around here this week. I'm excited to be back! It was a great break though - thanks for the understanding guys :) 

How have ya'll been??? Does anyone have hurricane stories? I missed you guys!

♥ Kenzie

Oops.

{This photo is from the winter at home. Too funny. Yes, that's a refrigerator.}

I've been a bit absent lately, I know. I have things for you guys, but I may need to take a few days break from the blog in order to catch up on the life right now. Going back to school next week so I need to get ready for that too! The next week is gonna be busy!!! 

Are any of you heading back to school? Or have a busy life around this time of year?

♥ Kenzie

I'm a Busy Flippin' Girl.

{source? anyone?}

I think I may have posted this photo on here before, but this is what I've been dreaming of lately. A huge chalkboard wall! 

So, this week has been a little nuts and awesome. I started an internship at the costume shop of a local theater and it's amazing. The people are so nice, I'm having a great time and in two days have already learned quite a bit about costuming! {cause I don't know that much} 

But, in acting like a real person, I now have to reestablish a schedule. And I'm not a pro at schedule stuff. At all. So, that's my goal for this weekend: Make a real person schedule. Wish me luck!

What are you doing this August?

♥ Kenzie

Tea and Tell Tuesday :: and some ridiculousness

I bet you've been anxiously awaiting these videos since I mentioned them last week, huh? I have been too. And Blogger finally stopped being mad at me or maybe it just got annoyed that I didn't give up. We'll never know...

Above is the actual, sane video response to Miss Malori's Vlog.

Below, well, that's what happens when you drink too much tea and your video isn't going the way you want it too... you get bored and just leave the camera running. It provides for some awesomely embarrassing material to show the world. 

If you know me personally, below is every day with Mackenzie.

If you don't, I promise I don't bite. And, sorry if you were expecting something different, but this is me. {And honestly, what were you expecting when you looked at that header?} 

I hope you enjoy them! 

And tell me - Whatcha drinkin' today?

♥ Kenzie

It's Thursday isn't it?

I'm leaving Providence today. And surprisingly, to me, I'm a little bit sad. I've had a great time here just relaxing, which is a new concept for me in this city as I'm usually running around like a crazy person trying to get projects done. But here I am, more relaxed and feeling like myself than I have all summer. So nice. 

This is my favorite tree. Probably ever. I don't think I have ever found a tree that I stumble down the street for every time I see it. It is in Providence and on one of my favorite city streets. The street just calms me down whenever I walk it. It's not super busy, so it reminds me of home and I can get away from some of the city noise for a short while. Those fire sirens can get annoying after a while. 

I've always wanted to jump the fence and climb this tree. But I haven't on the off chance that the... police are called. So, I figured it wouldn't be a good life choice. But wouldn't it be an *amazing* treehouse tree?

Do you have a favorite place in your city or town?

♥ Kenzie

Amazing. Like, whoa.

{I'm a terrible sourcer today...}

Yeah, so I know this happened, like, FOREVER ago... sorta, but I needed to comment on it since I haven't. 

Marriage is legal for **everyone** in New York. Amazing. Simply amazing.

 So proud of my home state! 

♥ you NY, Kenzie

P.S. I'm a terrible person to talk about politics with. I'm a terrible sourcer too. I just hear/see things and I say - Oh. That's cool. So deep, I know. And if you have sources for me on anything I post - please let me know? I will be eternally grateful! 

Shoot, I was cute...

I know what you're thinking. Who's that super adorable girl in that hot ride?

My friends, this is a much younger, less dorkier version of myself.  I grew into the dorky part quite quickly though. No worries. Although, I did stop eating soap, which was probably very beneficial to my social life... 

Hope you're having a wonderful, reminiscent day like I am :) 

♥ Kenzie

Graduation Weekend

Last weekend was fun, happy, difficult, sad, proud and crazy. 

My freshman class graduated. Minus me.

So a little background if you didn't see this little post:

Last summer after I returned from my trip to Argentina, I decided that I wanted to change my major from Industrial Design (ID) to Textiles. Such a difficult decision.

The reason it was a difficult decision? I was coming back to school as a senior if I continued in ID and as a sophomore if I changed to Textiles. Sophomore year at my school was definitely the hardest and a very emotional year in ID for me, therefore, going back to that and *choosing* to go back to that was daunting. Along with the idea that the people were totally different (as in personalties, age, dress, gender - I had gotten used to hanging out with dudes and tomboys), totally different things to think about in design and that in a year most of my best friends would be leaving RISD without me.

It was a great decision in the end - I love my major now and actually am *truly* enjoying my work. Nonetheless, seeing my friends graduate was hard. I was and am so proud to know such amazing people and see them all so excited and happy for real life. But there were a lot of tears. Mixed happy, sad and a little scared tears. I don't know what RISD is without them and though it is scary to watch them leave, I know that they are going to do **such** amazing things and that I will see them again. They are too great of friends to let slip away :)

It was a great day and here are some happy photos:

I was acting like a proud mama all day :) 

What has been happening in your life lately?

♥ Kenzie