Polka Dot Robot

Thank you!

I want a polar bear so bad!

My to-do list is out of control because today I lost a day.

I want to thank everyone for their emails and tweets. I am doing fine.

This morning I had to go to urgent care because I am having problems breathing when I am laying down.

I had a chest x-ray and EKG on my heart. Thank goodness it all came back fine-- I have a virus in my chest and that is the reason why I am having a hard time breathing. POOP!

xoxo,

vivs

Featured Friday: PIXELATION

Here's a new feature to the blog that I will be doing along with Lehua from heart on my sleeve

Each week we will feature our favorite bloggers and some fun & interesting stuff that you may or may not have known about them.

here we go...

 

This is my lovely friend Margot from Pixelation

Name: margot

Hometown: new york

Currently In: new york

Website/Blog Address:www.pixelationfoto.com

Favorite Drink: iced grande soy latte :-)

Favorite Show: oprah (guilty pleasure)

Favorite Hobbies: shopping, reading, doodling

New Year Resolution: to read 50 books! (i'm at 27 right now)

Current Obsession: where the wild things are

Secret People Don't know about you: my socks barely ever match

I dream about: writing & illustrating children's books

Secret Crush: emeril (BAM!)

What made you want to start your business:  my friend & i wanted to collaborate, focusing on both of our strengths (hers being photography, mine being illustration) and we call the collaboration PIXELATION.

How would you describe what you do: we work at events & also do commissions, first photographing the subject and then taking them through the Pixelation studio where they end up in fantasy world of whatever they have imagined.

How long have you had your business: We are currently in our first year.

Favorite piece you have made: I love them all for different reasons, but today this biker piece is my favorite.

 

here are a few other of Margot photos ;)

 

 

Thank you Margot for sharing ;)

If you would like to be part of Feature Friday...please email me vivianna(at)polkadotrobot(dot)com

Handmade Holiday: Around the internet

 

 

image love from here

A Week In The Life: Day 3

Here is my day 3. Again, not all photos will be posted because of the privacy of others.

 

I have been dealing with anxiety for a few years now. Next year I have decided to over come some of my fears. Laurel is going to help me :) but for right now I am reading The Power of Now and working on my life goals with LA.

 

I wish I had an MAC. this one is at my office, but not mine :(

 

I really need to start drinking more water. When I was a ballerina-- I would drink tons of water.

 

I really need new shoes. I own a lot of toms and these shoes in the photo. When I am in New York I want to buy boots.

 

The one thing about living in a big city is the trash that is left on the street. I really hate it!

 

 

everyone loves this place. I don't because they don't use real cheese...wel, they use Kraft cheese.

Some of you have ask for me to write more about me. How about this...you email me your question or leave it in the comments and I will answer them all on Mondays post.

The Planner you are talking about

A few of you have asked about the planner that I keep taking photos of...well, here it is

 

it has the last few months of 2009

 

 

sorry, the photo are not the best.

I made this last week as a sample planner. I am thinking of making a few for gifts and I was also thinking of making a few for the shop. They would all look different . Would you like that? 

Please don't read unless you ask: Recap

Here are all the art journal pages that I have done so far this year. Not in any order.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Week In The Life: Day 2

Here are my day 2 photos.I will not be showing all my photos today because of the privacy of others.

 

 

 

 

 

Tonight, when I post day 3-- I will also post my playlist for this project.

Monsters LOVE Halloween!

Hi Robots!

Laurel here, posting about Monster Hoodies of course!

This weekend, we went down to Half Moon Bay to go get us some pumpkins, and of course a monster came along.  The newest monster in the crew was a gift to my boyfriend this month. Check him out!

I'm putting the name to a vote here on the blog: which do you like best?

1. Bloodthirsty Bernardo
2. Barbarous Bernardo
3. Ferocious Frankie
4. Formidable Frank
5. ???

Of course I had to try it on too:

The pumpkin patch had a corn maze! I had never been in one before, it was so fun!  I also fell in love with every other pumpkin there, so we ended up buying 15!  Just wait for photos later this week of the pumpkin carving party we're having on Thursday.

In other Monster Hoodie News: The hoodies will of course be attending Indie Mart with the rest of PDR next Sunday Novermber 8th!  And hoodies will be on sale for $75!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Rawwwr!

Tuesday how-to's

It seem like Tuesday is the day for how-to's.

 

AUTUMN : NOSTALGIA PAPER BAG MINI BOOK

This is a tutorial on making a Autumn mini out of a paper lunch bag.

 

take fun vacation photos.

LA TV

My friend LA does her own T.V show once a month and she shows you how to make the cutest stuff.

 

Fingerless Mitts part 3: Knit Gradient Mitts!

If you know of cool tutorials...let me know.

for image love--click on photo 

p.s I will be back tonight with my second day of photos

A Week In The Life: day one

Day one is coming to an end...I have to say that I did not have a very good start at this project :( I will do much better tomorrow.

My morning started off as...well, a Monday. I took all of 4 photos today :(

 

this is what my disk looked like this morning

 

I want to drink more tea because I really do like it

 

everyday I need to remember to take these

 

I am going through something...I never want to have my phone on anymore.

Daily notes:

•  woke up late and was late to work
• my lunch could have been a little better
• i love wearing dresses

there you have it! Not much today.

Here are some things that can help you with this project-- if you are doing it with us.

• make a playlist
• 8 Techniques for Choosing or Taking Photos
• List of everyday photos
• my everyday life flickr group
  
• self portrait tuesday flickr group

Have fun!

Jamie: you did a great job on your day!

I love you, I do: things I have at home

I love pens. I can never get enough of them...

.

My cameras. I have even more.

 

My cat Maybe. I need to take new photos of her because she is not this small anymore :(

 

My fo work space. 

this post is short because I have a lot of work to get done today. I'm sorry that it is not the best. I will have a better post tomorrow--I might even post more then once because A Week In The Life starts. If you are doing this with me then you should-- make sure your camera is charged and you have a little notebook.

I will see you all tomorrow :)

Happy Sunday!

Happy Friday: Creativity

This week has been hard for some of my friends, including myself. Most of us work through the hard times or heartache by being creative. I believe that everyone is creative in someway or another. If you don't think so then read this article called Reflections on Photography & Art - 8: Exercising Your Creativity by Alain Briot and if you still feel you are in a creative rut then you should read this and this.

I feel like I need some kind of challenge. So, I have been spending hours on Ali Edwards blog this whole week.I came across this--a week in the life I have done-- for one day only at the beginning of this year. 

Here is a little bit about "a week in the life" challenge

This is a creative adventure. It requires little more than a camera and a willingness to pay attention and gather up stuff from your daily life.

Daily Tasks For The Week:

(I have copied the following from Ali Edwards blog. These are not my words, but hers)

Take photos. Commit to keeping your camera with you throughout the day. Capture everything. Capture things that may seem silly or dumb. Capture the normal. Capture little things. Capture your environment. Here's a couple questions I ask myself or I keep in mind as I am going about this project: what's my daily routine, where did I go, who did I see, what do I do, what does the inside of my home look like, where do I spend the most time, etc. Capture stuff that you use everyday: your computer, a coffee mug, a favorite pair of shoes, a book, etc. Make sure to take a photo of yourself each day. See the list of possible photos below.

Upload photos. Take a bit of time each evening to upload your photos for the day. You can use this time to eliminate duplicate shots and if you are really on top of things you could print them out or upload them to your favorite developer to have them ready to create with the following week.

Designate a place for notes. Have a notebook or a couple sheets of paper set aside to jot down notes, stories, things to remember about each day. Don't make this complicated. Don't run out and buy a new notebook. The back of some junk letters, the leftover pages in a journal you have always meant to get around to, etc. You simply need somewhere to write down notes over the course of the day. 

Take notes. Once you set up something to write on, do the writing. What should you write? Thoughts you have during the day, things your kids or your boss or your partner say, things you notice (simple and profound), what you ate, etc. Go for the basics. These notes will be transferred into your album when the time comes. See more about recording the story under the category heading below.

Designate a place to store life-stuff. Part of the process is collecting bits and pieces of your life over the course of the week. For this I recommend setting up an envelope or folder for each day. You may use some of this stuff and you may not. I tend to keep things like receipts, handwritten notes, etc. These will be companions to your photos + words.

You can read the rest here

So, if you are up for the challenge...then I challenge you to document your life for one week. I am starting on Monday, October 26, 2009 through Sunday, November 1, 2009. I know for sure that these lovely ladies are doing this with me. Janel, Jari, Jamie, Erin, Kimi, and Margot

If you feel like this might be too big of a project/ challenge then here are a few more fun ones to try.

 

click on photo for credit

If you have not been to Jamaica Makes blog, then go NOW!

Today, she posted little minis of lists: my fav beers, most hated celebs and things that suck

also, check out let the listing commence and you can also buy her Book of lists to start your own lists.

click on photo for credit

This is the Sew Grateful kit  by Evalicious

She has the BEST mini art journal kits. I love her little minis and I have a few of them.

What are you Sew Grateful for? 

How about making your own 2010 planner. RVA has a kit for that ;) 

On their blog you can read about putting your planner together. 

Here are a few more links for inspiration:

Keri Smith: 100 ideas

Ami: What's your scrapbooking style

Elise Blaha: How to add writing on photos

Ali Edwards: Fabric-covered spines

(in photo old to-do list) 

My to-do's for the weekend:

1. Knitting 
2. coffee
3. Knitting
4. card making
5. knitting
6. eating good food
7. reading 
8. knitting

Handmade Holiday: Card Making

Last Thursday I went to the Paper Source to look for stuff to make my holiday cards.

I have a secret to tell you..this is the first year that I want to do things for the holidays. I have never been a big fan. That being said...when I went into the Paper Source to find stuff for cards, I told the staff person that I did not want traditional cards. I still want a holiday feel to them, but nothing too over the top.

The colors that I went with are pool and white

I did not edit any of these photos

Supply list:

• A7 folded note cards in pool
• Solid 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock in pure white 
• Wrapping paper in Birdies (I am making 20 cards, so I bought 4 sheets of this paper)
• White pen (optional. if you don't want the Happy Snow stamp) 
• black pen
• Ink pads in pool and white
• Boarder stamp
• Happy Snow stamp
• Small snowflake stamp
• Envelopes in pure white
• Scissors
• Glue stick
  
• Ruler
• Pencil

This is the first time that I have ever made my own cards. I will be showing you the steps that I did to make them. 

The Card

 

On the outside of the card I traced the ridges from the ruler.

(I think I got the ruler from an art store here is SF)  

 

then cut along the line that you just made

 

for the inside of the card you will need the 8 1/2 x 11 pure white paper and glue stick.

  glue down the white paper to the inside of the card

next you want to cut the remaining white paper off

 

I just followed the edge of the card

 

(see the bottom left corner of the card? When I was cutting the white paper, my cat jumped up on the table and scared the shit out of me. Clearly this card is not getting sent out)

for the outside of the card you will need stamps, white ink pad, and white pen 

 

find a place where you want your wording to be. I went with the bottom right corner

 

because sometimes the white stamp did not show very well, I would go over it with white pen to make it stand out more.

 

with the little snowflake stamp and white ink pad, randomly stamp the snowflakes all over the outside of the card.

 

you are now done with the card.

The Envelope 

For the lining of the envelope you will need warping paper, pencil, scissors, and lining template

 

You want to trace around the template on the back side of the wrapping paper 

 

I don't know what the templates are called but I did get mine at the Paper Source

next cut along the line you just made

 

stuff the lining into the envelope and glue around the top edges

the inside of the envelope is now done

 

for the outside of the envelope you will need pool ink pad, black pen, boarder stamp, and address book

 

DONE!

 

That is how I made my cards for this holiday season.  

Are making your own cards this year?

Please don't read unless you ask: Broken

These pages are from my personal art journal. I am very happy to share them with you, but sometimes the wording will be blurred out  for my own privacy.

This year has been full of broken hearts...Well,for me anyways.The best way for me to get over and let go of something-- is for me to make a few pages. My heart was broken earlier this year by someone who I thought was it...

My new heartache is from an issue that I had with one of my best friends. He thought that he could not talk to me because he thought I would get hurt. Turns out I got hurt because he would not talk to me and not from what he had to say. (Him and I have a long history together. He is my family. He is my best friend. No matter who comes in and out of my life, I know he will always stay)

 

I finished my Salted Plum art journal last night. You can see the first few pages here.

 

"Where am I going?" 

Sometimes I feel lost. I not sure where I am going. I am feeling like I need big changes in my life in 2010. I thinking a move or something like that...

 

"tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air" 

Even when I think I have moved on, there are still days that hurt.

 

"Out of Time"

before we're out of time, give me one last kiss. For soon, such distance will stretch between our lips

 

"Phone"

if you can't talk to me then I'm not sure how we can be friends

We all move on.

All I want is for you to be happy

Please, please don't leave me in the dark

I love you and you know that

 

"I would like to say"

there are very many things

I would like to say to you

but lost my words

there are very many places

I would like to go

but can't find the key

to open my door

there are very many ways

I would like to break the spell

you've cast upon me

'cause all the time

I sacrificed myself

to make you want me

Lending a Head

SOLD OUT OF THE HAPPY HOUR HATS! thank you to everyone who bought on. it means so much!

I’m sure there has been a time in your life when you’ve really needed
help and didn’t know who to ask, or even how. You felt scared and
hopeless. I’ve been there, and when that first person offered to help,
it was amazing how much weight was lifted from my shoulders.

The Robots have a friend who needs help, and we’re asking you to lend
a hand (or head, as it were.) Our friend Erin  (you can read the story here) is in
the middle of a family crisis. A loved one is in need and the family
cannot afford the costs. This is where the Robots come in.

As many of you know, we specialize in cute handmade goods. One of
those is our Happy Hour Bow Beret. PDR has decided that all profits
made from our bow beret will go to Erin’s family. This is where you
come in.

Do you think you could ‘lend a head’ and purchase a bow beret? For
yourself? For a friend? Co-worker? Family member? The more bought
means the more help goes to Erin and her family.

When times are tough, it is hard to ask for help, but if you can spare
a minute and some money on a cute hat, you’d be helping someone truly
in need more than you know.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post.
Much love,
The Robots

 

Happy Hour Bow Hat

I love you, I do (two days late)

On Sunday night the PDR crew went to go see this movie. I really liked it, but I really loved the little boy

photo of the poster

We went wearing our Monster Hoodies

 

Music Tuesday

I am working on a Fall playlist number 2. Here is a song that will for sure be on it...

What band or song make you feel happy inside?

Be back...soon

I need to change my Monday theme. I am not taking a lot of photos over the weekends. 

I will be back later tonight with 2 post.

Happy Birthday Ash! I love you!

Happy Friday:

 

(I like starting my Friday posts with my to-do list)

• Write PDR news letter
• Knit.Knit. Knit. Knit.
• Kitchen Dance party 
• Make budget
• Write FAQ's for PDR website? Do you have any question that you would like to see on the FAQ page? Please, email me at vivianna(AT)polkadotrobot(DOT)com
• Coffee date with Laurel and Erin
• Finish Janel's square and really get it in the mail
• Send coffee cozies to RVA
  

What's are you to do list for the weekend?