wilde self-love

Oh, Oscar. How I love thee.

It's been a pretty hefty week of reflection over here. This girl is coming up on a big transition in a couple of months: shifting jobs, traipsing around Europe, and eventually moving to a new city. It's a relief now that the vagueness of the next few months is exhilarating, since my former college-student self would have melted down into a puddle of a nervous wreck under the pressure of "the-world-is-your-oyster" mentality. 

Now and again, however, I do become a little anxious that I don't know "what to do" with my life. When one is surrounded by driven, admirably career-determined people it's easy to downgrade one's future from "exciting prospects" to "aimless wandering." Lately, I've been so creatively inclined with paper design ("paperpreneurship," I read somewhere), and I love it, but it's not at all what I expected for myself. When I graduated with an English major I was set on a path toward editing and publishing and when I found out that the sedentary practice of reading rough manuscripts turned me off to reading in general, I decided the career was not for me. With my career-vision shattered, I turned to many other possibilities to try: catering, event-planning, travel designing, and decorative arts and design. All of which fit me in some capacity, but life got in the way of commitment to any singular option, and I couldn't muster enough "umph" to remove myself from my indecisive rut. 

Lettering started out as a hobby, but it's been the first thing I've stuck to in many months. I'm very happy that I love it, and that it's brightening my friends' and family's days, as well as my own. It doesn't save lives and it will certainly never earn me hundreds of thousands of dollars, but it makes me happy to know that I'm putting something into this world with my own two hands that brings people closer together. So, note to self: don't compare yourself to anyone. Simply don't, it's not worth the angst.

Along those lines, check out this post called "30 Things to Stop Doing To Yourself". It was exactly what I needed to read at exactly the right time.

After you read that, watch this to align your chakras and be totally enlightened (by tears of laughter). 

So. Lighten up, everyone! It's Wednesday! Who's got awesome weekend plans? I do! Can't wait to go home to the Lowcountry :)

Also, check out the awesome graduation party invitations I've done for my former sorority! Not gonna lie, I'm pretty proud of them....

PKE Graduation Party Invitations 2014. Created with flickr slideshow.

holly and hedgehogs

I'm going to make a pretty blasphemous confession for someone who lives in Tennessee.

I don't like country music. There it is.

Folk, bluegrass, Americana, hell yeah-- love it. Old country like Johnny Cash, Americana like Lucinda Williams, and awesome string-twangers like Mumford & Sons, are my jam. But all of this pop-pseudo-country music that's out there these days, written with a formula that includes beer-drinking, pick-up trucks, and cut-off jeans, sounds the same to me.

Which is why I was so thrilled to go to a Holly Williams concert last night at 3rd and Lindsley in Nashville. I've listened to her a few times at work, and enjoyed her music, but seeing her live was just amazing. She totally rocks her status as country music royalty (she's the daughter of Hank Williams, Jr. and granddaughter of Hank Williams, Sr.) by harking back to and older sound and very real, personal lyrics.

If you've never heard her tunes, check out this Spotify playlist. You won't regret it. Railroads, The Highway, Without You, Let You Go, all have wonderful road-trip quality sounds, whereas, Waiting on June made me cry twice today.

Oh, by the way, check out the precious hedgehog stationery I designed today. It's pretty cute, n'est-ce pas?

Created with flickr slideshow.

preach

Recently, I came across this quotation on a friend's Facebook page. It's too good and true not to share:

"Hear this or not, as you will. Learn it now, or later — the world has time. Routine, repetition, tedium, monotony, ephemeracy, inconsequence, abstraction, disorder, boredom, angst, ennui — these are the true hero’s enemies, and make no mistake, they are fearsome indeed. For they are real." 

-David Foster Wallace

Right? Best advice I've had in a long time.

Have a glorious Thursday, everyone! We're almost to the weekend!

roux paperie

New logo for my hand-lettering!

Aahh! It's been forever since I've written! Blogging was my New Years Resolution (rouxvolution) and I've totally flaked out! womp womp.

BUT, does it count if I've been slaving over a new hobby? Like calligraphy and hand-lettering? Because I have, and I love it, and I'm kind of a little bit proud of myself. You know, I've never considered my handwriting to be that good; in fact, a high school teacher once said it gave him vertigo after I submitted an in-class essay. Sorry? But, with the right tools, and a whole lot of patience (Guns N Roses patience), it looks pretty damn good. 

Drafting the text for PKE's graduation party invitations!

Stationery designed for my niece, Carrie

So, I've been loving this hobby, but lately I've been getting a little antsy. The draft pages have literally taken over every surface of my apartment, and, while I love the process of designing text graphics and writing calligraphy, it would be so much more fun to share it with others. In a bout of shameless self-promotion, I contacted my old sorority and asked to design the graduation party invitations for the seniors as well as hand-letter the envelopes (they said yes, so I've begun working on those this week); I posted about calligraphy on Facebook and received inquiries for two wedding invitation jobs, as well as a hand-lettered, framed quotation for a birthday present. Lastly, I've designed a set of 6 stationery cards and envelopes for one of my adorable nieces for her birthday. 

A wall of projects in my kitchen.

 Soon enough, the Etsy shop for roux paperie will be up and running! It's coming along slowly but surely, since I'm in the middle of these projects, but it's a labor of love and excitement. My favorite part is the mailing list I've arranged for close friends and family so I can send test runs of card designs. Who doesn't love snail mail? I dare you to name one thing that makes you feel more singularly loved than a hand-written card addressed to you.

Do I have any readers out there? I have no idea. But I do have a question and would love to hear some answers. Under my bed and in all my drawers at home there are boxes of old cards I've received that I simply don't have the heart to throw away. Does anyone have any suggestions for card-hoarders (lovers....) like myself? Surely there has to be a way to organize these guys while still preserving their significance. Guess I'm the sentimental type....

Sincerely yours,

Rhetty-roux

Under construction, but it's getting there!!