Balzer Designs

Around Here: July 2019

Hello, friends!  Here's a little bit about life right now:

What are you wearing?

Dresses!! It has been in the 90s+ around here and so I have been looooving dresses.

What have you bought?

This has not been a big shopping month.  We are trying to save our money for the house and the baby.  Most of what I've bought is food...

Man, I love food! This is breakfast at Cafe Landwer.

What are you reading?

I finished "Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows" at the beginning of the month and it has stayed with me.

I bought it in an airport book store because the title was so compelling.  It was really well written.

And speaking of reading, I also shared my kindle confession on instagram last week:

Current art crush?

Polina Oshu or oshupatterns on instagram.

I love this video because I was shocked by the scale of the books:

I love this video because I had always assumed these patterns were made with paint (wrong!):

Aren't these fabulous?!  Her work makes me want to grab a little notebook and make patterns!  I love following artists who inspire me to be creative, don't you?

So, there you have it!  That's the scoop on life around here at the moment. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Around Here: June 2019

Hello, friends!  Here's a little bit about life right now:

What are you wearing?

Maternity Jeans.

I have reached the point where my pants no longer fit.

What have you bought?

An antique lighting fixture for the living room in our new home.

Our house was built in 1890 and this fixture is from 1910.  So, not exactly the same, but close enough.

What are you reading?

"This is Marketing" by Seth Godin.  Meh.  After reading "Building a Story Brand," I wanted more!  So, I decided to try some other marketing books.  This one is such a disappointment after Story Brand.  I've reached the point where I'm debating not finishing the book.  Gasp!  I've carried it with me on several trips and keep making excuses not to keep reading it...probably a sign.

Current art crush?

Renee of flygurl_designs.

I swoon over her masterful patterns and the gorgeous color combinations she chooses for printing.  Every day is a delight!

So, there you have it!  That's the scoop on life around here at the moment.  If you'd like more behind-the-scenes real life fun, Steve and I sat down to chat about our baby and what the journey has been and might be going forward:

ALSO: The hour-long livestream for YouTube channel members will be on Saturday, June 29 at 3pm EST.  Some of the topics I will be covering include: drawing faces, bookbinding, creating paper cuts, and more!  Becoming a YouTube Channel member costs just $4.99/month.

Thanks for stopping by!

Around Here: May 2019

Hello, friends!  Here's a little bit about life right now:

What are you wearing?

This Marimekko mumu dress.  It has pockets and I love swishing around in it!

What have you bought?

I bought this dress from Amazon:

My original plan was to paint it for the MFA Summer Party, but I like it so much I'm wondering if I should just leave it alone?  

What are you reading?

I recently finished How to be Good by Nick Hornby and was very disappointed.  He's a good writer, but it was such a deeply depressing take on the world that I found myself quite unhappy every time I picked up the book. Anyone else read this one?

Current art crush?

Rainbow Village and Rainbow Grandpa who painted every single building in the village.

It reminds me a bit of some of Yayoi Kusama's intensely patterned paintings.

So, there you have it!  That's the scoop on life around here at the moment.  If you'd like more behind-the-scenes real life fun, here is the most recent vlog (and the last for a few months -- I'm taking a break for personal reasons):

Thanks for stopping by!

Around Here: April 2019

Hello, friends!  Here's a little bit about life right now:

What are you wearing?

Purple!

Purple dress!

Purple tights!

What have you bought?

I've made several donations this month to charities I love:

• My Life My Choice: A group that helps girls avoid/get out of/return from the commercial sex industry.  These girls are exploited at ages as young as eleven!  And often by people they trust.  It's horrifying and it's in America, in our own neighborhoods.  Some of the girls come from at-risk background, but many are normal middle class girls who fall in with the wrong people.
• The Watertown Boys & Girls Club: The Boys & Girls Club offers children a space to play sports, do homework, learn computer skills, make friends, and more.  Children who cannot afford to pay for programs -- including summer camp -- are given assistance by the club.  The Boys & Girls Club is more than a building, it's a community and home away from home for many children who would otherwise go home to an empty house.
• Women's Lunch Place: A day shelter for homeless and impoverished women, Women's Lunch Place offers education, social services, fine food, medical services, and dignity to women in need.  They have a very active art program and often showcase the lovely artwork the ladies create on calendars and greeting cards that raise money for the Women's Lunch Place.

What are you reading?

I am obsessed with the book, Building a Story Brand.  I'm 2/3 of the way through the book and I've already taken about 6 pages of intensive notes and redone my website to reflect the lessons I've learned.  If you have a business of any kind, I highly recommend this book. It's easy reading and it's blowing my mind.

Current art crush?

Lisa Bardot.  If you have any interest in learning how to use Procreate to create digital art on your iPad, Lisa is your girl.  She posts fantastic tutorials.  A lot of fantastic tutorials.  I love her.

Watch a few of those tutorials.  They'll make you believe that you can do it too! 

So, there you have it!  That's the scoop on life around here at the moment.  If you'd like more behind-the-scenes real life fun, you can always check out my vlog.  I post a new vlog to my YouTube channel every Wednesday!  This is the most recent vlog:

Thanks for stopping by!

Around Here: February 2019

Hello, friends!  Here's a little bit about life right now:

What are you wearing?

This sweater over and over and over again:

I'm blaming the weather and laziness.  (PS: I know I love food, but look at how I look at the food!  LOL!)

What have you bought?

Well, I haven't bought it yet.  We are shopping for kitchen cabinets and I really loved the ones in this photo, but they were out of my price range.

But I think I found something else fab that I really love and that is half the price...crossing my fingers that it works out!

What are you reading?

Just finished my first Nick Hornby novel, Funny Girl, and really enjoyed it.  So, I'm about to start a new one: How to Be Good.  It's not beach weather, but they really are perfect beach books. Quick and easy reading.

Current art crush?

My current art obsession is stitching and painting mixed together.  So, it's no surprise that when I found Tansy Hargan, I freaked out.  Her work is so exciting and inspiring!

I love her sketchbook too.  It's so fascinating to me!

I hope to own a piece of her work some day! 

So, there you have it!  That's the scoop on life around here at the moment.  If you'd like more behind-the-scenes real life fun, you can always check out my vlog.  I post a new vlog to my YouTube channel every Wednesday!  This is the most recent vlog:

Thanks for stopping by!