Play-Toe; Play-Too > |ˈplātō|

Good-bye easy street, hello life. It’s more than a song in a musical; it’s really real! It’s Easy Street. But, as stated before, all good things come to an end. Cliche, yes; true, yes. Why? Because Plato had it right – everything is needed in moderation.

Side note: there is something to be said about a town thats main attraction is Walmart. 1. awesome 2. america!

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“Moderation is calmly firm, and firmness is commonly successful” – Plato

Be back soon.

I hate Wasps

I’ve spent the last few days in south texas at a family friends property – collecting my thoughts and goals, finding interesting new supplies for jewelry pieces, running away from wasps, and falling in love with the barn cat. Hiking dos + donts.
Do – load up on lots of H2O
Do Not – wear shorts, step on and/or kick cactus for “fun”.
Lesson learned!

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Shocker!

William Shockley

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Jane Morgan:  “Looking forward to the new inventions that are yet to come, I’d like for you to tell me your thoughts on the nurturing of creativity in the young people today in our homes and in our schools. I know you’ve done some deep thinking on this and i’d like to know your thoughts.”

Dr. William Shockley: “Well, I think a good deal about it is probably built in genetically when the individual starts out but it can certainly be discouraged. I think one of the things that is least effective in encouraging creativity is to give the impression, that the students so often get in school, that all of the nice things, the important things are found out nicely and neatly. It has been my experience that all of the more difficult inventions that I have made and I counted recently that I have 85 issued patents which makes me close to being in the major league on numbers. Most of these require many failures to accomplish. It has been my own experience that to do creative work one must over extend oneself, one must count on falling on his face, on getting into difficulties, one must learn from these failures and not be stopped by them. But one, if one is taught that everything is neat and orderly and one never gets into a mess when trying to do anything new then he will be so conservative that I don’t think he will break new ground. I think the big contribution that can be made, maybe the biggest educational contribution that could be made to the creativity of people is to persuade them that they shouldn’t worry about making mistakes. This will be inevitable if they are going to do anything new.”

William Shockley – Genius – Nobel Prize Winner – Co-Inventor of the Transistor Radio – Experimenter – Physicist –

What’s the secret?

Keep a notebook. Write notes. Write thoughts. Write bullshit. Write anything. Think. Brainstorm. FAIL. FAIL. Experiment. FAIL again. Innovate. Make.

How can you be afraid of something that you have never done and/or know nothing about?

Watch the interview here.

twenty-two

it’s my (our) party, i’ll cry if i want to. i probably will –  i’m a sucker like that. it’s another day and another year to add on to my life. not just mine, but my dear twin sister annie. we’re going to be celebrating the evening with a nice close-nit dinner with family and my best friend from middle school. i’m very content in my life right now and all of the blessings, both good and bad, that have occurred in the past year. i feel as though my eyes have opened and i am now viewing everything in a much broader, brighter, and eager light. i’m so eager to learn, share, create, design, and build relationships. heres to you annie.we haven’t spoken since December but no matter what, you will always be my best friend. i love you very, very much and hope one day you will find the strength inside to believe in all of your abilities – the world is yours. the world is ours. together, we can achieve greatness. hand in hand, like the good ol’ days.

happy birthday to my partner in crime since day 1 – even if you kicked me out of the womb. : ) you may be 4 minutes older but i still have an inch on you.

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Dude looks like a Lady.

all flannel errrrrything. i just cant stray. typical college/day wear – but hey, im wearing a dress and looking somewhat like a lady today. off to class and then the Menil – oh, and if you’re in Houston, go by Space in Montrose. i’m bringing them some new goods today by ADD.
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Liza Lou

i feel as though the past months are catching up to me. my body is a little sick but still pushing through. things are not slowing down anytime soon. life doesn’t slow down for anybody or anything – so adjust. be flexible. do not be stuck in a mold. abbie drue designs has a lot of new things in store. gearing up for more events, one in austin next week, a meeting with a new prospect on Friday, and oh, i’m turning 22 next tuesday! today, i found a burst of inspiration after watching a clip about Liza Lou. Liza is a brilliant artists and sculptor whose main materials are beads. i really would love to meet her and see her work live. her work is very detailed and intricate, and as a fellow beader myself, its not easy. just a little background: Liza grew up in NYC, born into a creative family as her mother was a writer and dad was an artist. she now lives between california and durban, south africa. here are some of her works. “stay with the making. stay with the doing. it is a privilege”
indeed. i think i’ll stay.
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One grain

“You and I and everyone else are like an hourglass. When we start in the morning, there are hundreds of tasks which we feel that we must accomplish that day, but if we do not take them one at a time and let them pass through the day slowly and evenly, as do grains of sand passing through the narrow neck of the hourglass, then we are bound to break our own physical or mental structure.”
(Currently reading Dale Carnegie)

Start living, doing, making, and acting. It doesn’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to come from an art background.
Just go.

bang bang, h-town

days feel like whirlwinds and i am just a piece of scrap whirling around. i am constantly learning new things and meeting new people; doing new jobs and venturing out. so much to see; so little time. this is true. i’ve never felt so excited about learning and just … doing. but i also have never felt so tired

one of the many adventures today after school, jewelry repairs, splashing in puddles, and so on…. involved a girl, ink, a silkscreen, and a squeegee. finally, i broke in the silkscreen (DIY style) that a very inspiring individual gifted me. i think we did a trade or something, but he had this custom made with our Abbie Drue Designs logo by his friend Sean of Caught in Customs…..ramble… and it was a success. i banged out 20 tees. they were mostly white with black print and then black with a pink and grey mix. my friend was a little hesitant on letting me mix the colors because he didn’t think it would show up well but it turned out nice. thanks G1.

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action. action. action. people, get up. act. do. create. learn. share.

chipped +

for me to say that i’m in need of a manicure is an understatement. however, chipped nail polish is a sign of hard working hands, not of weakness.

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see more bones + stones jewels here — more on the way.

the handmade, Abbie Drue Designs necklace seen in the photos is a buffalo tooth (sometimes i paint designs on them) on a delicate yet durable black silk cording with 14k gold filled metals.

its not chanel

assignment: sculpture of a secret – abstract

required materials: wire, burlap, wood, and plaster

this went through a long process to build – from multiple form changes and color/texture changes. one day it was completely black – the next i spray painted it yellow. maybe it represented my mood that day.

what feelings does it evoke in you? or say? chaos/happiness/does it make you want pizza?

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photoHandbag of Knocks, Hormones, Him, and Break-aways

<<<opinions are welcome. this is my first sculpture class>>>

hagrid in the library

and i am not talkin about the character from Harry Potter. sitting, waiting, wishing, for 11 o’clock to come rolling around – which is actually coming faster than i think . 10 till – doing critiques in my sculpture class.

on the floor, in the nobody puts baby in the corner, listening to “stay” (100th time), sketching out new designs. its time for a clean cut look at Abbie Drue Desings. changes on the way.

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favorite moments at last nights Grammy Awards:

really, all of the performances last night were amazing – from Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood to Rihanna and Damien Marley. my absolute favorite was Rihanna and Mikky Ekko with “Stay”. its a beautiful song that i can’t stop replaying today. if i listen to this one more time i will probably put myself in a sad, depressed state. the weather is really creating the right mood for it with this hail and rain happening right now in Houston but honestly, i cant stop. its so lovely.

red carpet standouts:

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Natasha Bedingfield is Radiant in this red Emerson gown

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Kimbra Dazzles in Perth

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Taylor is Pure and Sharp in J.Mendel

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Florence is a Shining Emerald in Givenchy

top shelf treatment

its a sun shiny houston day. how do i spend it? nestled inside reading a book(s). i never used to read – i hated it up until last april. now i cant get enough. i purchased a few books today by Hugh MacLeod. i have really grown to love his work and just finished reading “Ignore Everybody” and i am now working on my 2nd purchase – “Freedom Is Blogging In Your Underwear”. some other books that i have read and will re-read here on the top shelf of my bookcase are listed below. i cant tell you what the books are about but i will give you a quote, clip, line, or personal takeaway. my TSC consists of used, new, gifted, and forgotten books. here are some:

A Big Ball of String by Marion Holland: “I can stay In my bed. I can play in my bed. I can do anything with a big ball of string”

Linchpin by Seth Godin: for the one who is 24/7 round the clock, a genius, an indispensable being, the one who pushes through, the one who threw away the road map – and is not looking for it, or “for Helene”

The Little Big Things by Tom Peters: COMMUNICATE! OVER COMMUNICATE! “Engage with folks of all ages – keep learning new stuff – and just say yes!” You either care or you don’t care – there is no in between.

Ignore Everybody by Hugh MacLeod:  you + the dream + a few cans of dog food.

The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: “So this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I’m still trying to figure out how that could be”

Never Underestimate The Power of A Woman by Mead Dodd: the title speaks for itself.

How to Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie: “..personality and the ability to talk are more important than a knowledge of Latin verbs or a sheepskin from Harvard” — this is an action book. you learn by doing.

Its Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be by Paul Arden: its right to be wrong.

Assholes – A Theory by Arron James: currently reading. trying to figure out why assholes exists.

On Bullshit by Henry G. Frankfurt: “One of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much bullshit. Everyone knows this. Each of us contributes to his share. But we tend to take the situation for granted.” a rough account on what bullshit is, why it exists, and the purposes it holds.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell: its what, how, and when.

Freedom Is Blogging In Your Underwear by Hugh MacLeod: freedom to do things that you want and freedom to do things that you don’t want. do you want that?

do you have any suggested reads?

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dade county

remember when i said that all good things come to an end? well they dont have to – my current state: compulsively hitting replay to Rick Ross while laying here in bed writing this post, drinking coffee. the time is 6:42 a.m. and the mood is right. i did a show last night at Noveau Antique Art Bar that was a huge success and even made it to the real Southern Living blogspot: The Daily South. kind of a big deal in the south y’all. the Valentine Shack had a great turnout and, once again, houston locals rock. thanks for coming out to sip some/shop some. the hardest part of the night was getting it all together.

if someone finds out what was in the air yesterday i’d like to know. i went from dancing around in fluffy, sparkly Taylor Swift-esq dresses listening to Duffy – to grinding to Rick Ross “everyday im hustlin'” in skinnies, a black blazer, and two chains. every time i get ready to go out my room ends up looking like a scene from The Hangover. after a long, hard fought battle (with myself) i finally hung the white flag, manned up, and committed to an outfit to wear.

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long black, leather accented blazer//graphic tee//vintage jewels (all ADD + gifted bead from Yoko Vintage)//black skinnies//Gianni Bini heels

….ev-ev-everyday I’m, everyday I’m, everyday I’m hustlin’ – real hard.

(outfit greatly inspried by the man repeller. i love the man repeller. i love man repelling. i love Leandra Medine.//rick ross obsession probably indirectly related to this great number.)

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i heard from an old friend today who is pursuing her passion for photography while going to school in arizona. i remember the last time we were together, we were at her house probably in 6th or 7th grade, wearing rubber bracelets from Hot Topic, had mouths full of metal, getting high on redbull, pizza, and life,all while rocking out to Greenday’s American Idiot album and scribbling our names (and possibly our lovers) on her bedroom wall. did i mention we thought we were really cool? because we did – and we totally were. anyway, we have decided to do a little art swap. i’m sending her a custom ADD stone necklace in return for a MH photography print. it was really hard to only pick one but after browsing through pages of  photos i finally found one. if you check out Madeleine Hanlon Photography here or on Flickr you’ll be able to see why! here are some of my favorites.

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p.s. non-grammatical writing is welcome here.

mint

all good things come to an end. whether its a small fling, job, good book, song (unless you compulsively hit replay, which i tend to do), a party, etc… you get the point. eventually there is an finish line, a bottom to a pit, a dead end road sign. one of my most recent employments, before i started ADD, was at Mint Clothing & Accessories. this job taught me sooo much. i can’t even begin to say how grateful i am for the experience/adventure. they have recently closed for good but i just want to express my feelings about that store. i learned more in the 1.5 + years of working there than i have in any of my past working experiences which include, being a legal clerk (2 years), a “girl friday” (1 year), and a jewelry repair chick (1+ years). i learned things i had never known and i learned things that i have always known. i learned things about myself, people, and about running a business. i was always used to working behind the scenes and in positions where i wasn’t challenged until this job came along. it pushed me and people actually believed in me. it made me believe in myself and in my unseen/unused abilities. Mint gave me an attitude that i can actually do anything and most importantly gave me a lifelong friend.

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i think the hardest part for us all is actually going out and doing things; putting ideas to work and testing our abilities. yes, we will fail. we will fail more times than we succeed – but this is if we’re lucky. you see, its all apart of growing, learning, and rolling with the “hard knocks” of life.

vintage stitches

went out on a vintage splurge yesterday at an antique shop that my friend Travis of ManReady Mercantile recommended. he sent me a photo of these little cross pocket knifes that he saw there, to which i responded by hopping (not literally – however that would be an interesting sight) into my car to go and buy them. while there, i purchased a few other hidden gems. a knit cape/sweater with a grey, white, and red print by VII (i feel a little like Hermione from Harry Potter. especially with my choppy-straight away hair cut that is just untamable in this weather, but i like the print and look), a small sterling silver canister, three cross pocket knifes (navy, red, and pink), and a book. i love old books. this one is called “Down with Everybody!” by George Mikes. my copy was published in 1958, printed in Great Britain. all of these finds were around $50.

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why vintage? i have grown to appreciate the old and worn things that i find in antique shops. the digging/finding part is a time consuming journey but well worth it. i love the history and value that each item carries. i dont think in 50 years we will be antiquing for things made in the 21st century – there will be nothing to see.

EXPELLIARMUS!

cruisin’

this weekend was a great one and keeps getting better, which kind of freaks me out because when things are going well there is something waiting around the corner to stir things up. yesterday i participated in the Heights First Saturday Arts Market on 19th. it was sooo much fun! everyone was so friendly and the mood was great – sales were also good so thats an added bonus! went for a bike ride this morning on my new/old Schwinn cruiser and found $10 on the ground. the bike just came home from the shop yesterday but by the time i got home from the show it was too dark to ride. my dad bought this bike in 1981 and gifted it to me a few weeks ago. i had a new set of whitewall tires put on it and a new chain. lovely day and weekend to be alive and in Houston. hope you are having a great weekend as well. if not, no worries – your bound to have one soon. life is an infinite whirlwind!

p.s. today is also rockin’ because of the Superbowl new epsiode of Downton Abbey on tonight! do you watch?

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yet to come

today i received news that a scheduled march FAB feature is no longer. yes, its bothersome and hurts but there will most likely be so many of these kinds of disappointments further down the road. this means only one thing. 1.keep going south. when the going gets tough and things happen that you do not understand – keep pushing on. one of my favorite authors is Ralph Parlette. i found one of his well known books “The University of Hard Knocks” at August Antiques some time ago and gave it to a friend to read. it was one of the most insightful books i have ever red. so naturally, i had to track down another copy + some. today, one of his books that i ordered came in the mail and it couldn’t have been timed any perfectly. the best is yet to come.

 

“We do not need to figure how far we have to go to some goal, nor how many supplies we will need along the way. Just make the right start and Go On South. We will find the resources all along the way. We grow as we flow, like the railway locomotive that makes steam faster running than standing at the station. And if we do not know the right way, if we follow the highest calls of our being and learn the lessons of our bumps we are sure to get in the right channel sooner or later. Success is not tomorrow nor next year. Success is going the right direction, not arriving some-where. Success is not at the end of the journey, for there is no end. The Mississippi is just as successful in Minnesota as in Louisiana.”

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so, so good.

tell ’em how you feel

on a recent trip to target to buy school supplies, even though school started 2 weeks ago, i witnessed something that made me think and chuckle, “don’t be this guy”. i snapped this creepy, stalker photo and went on with my shopping. its a’ comin. the big ol’ valentines day. it’s a tricky subject. not because i’m going to be single and probably only get a rose from my dad (which is completely, 100% okay with me) but because it is something that should be celebrated everyday. if the only time you ever give/buy someone you love something is on valentines day then please, just stop doing anything at all. it seems weird to think that  someone who spent time to put together a “valentines shop” on her website would have so much against this day. after all, the point of the shop is to sell stuff to people like you and me for valentines day. i don’t do it to sell and make money. i do it because i love to do it. i enjoy it. it gives me purpose. i get to wake up everyday and make, create, and most importantly share what i love. and not only share what i love with you, but other artists who also love their crafts. you should do the same this year. share what you love and what makes you happy, whether thats a person, talent, or thing. that is all.

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bringing it all back home

showing by ALH — Bringing It All Back Home by El Rincon Social: Darwin Arevalo, Dylan Conner, Oscar Rene Comejo, Alex Larsen, Patrick Renner, and David Salinas. my favorites are these two prints using wood stain, chromogenic prints, polyurethane, and solvent.

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Untitled, 2013 by David Salinasphoto

Untitled, 2013 by David Salinas