Genius!

Genius Idea. Thanks Design Crush for sharing!

Maybe when I'm married and poor, this is what we'll do. (Slash, I really want an excuse to try this idea.)

I signed up for this.

Guess what I just signed up for.

http://arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject

I'm excited. They just extended the deadline until November 15, just fyi.

Oh and BTW, They'll be displaying all the sketchbooks on a tour in San Francisco, Austin, Chicago, Atlanta, and Brooklyn.

Dear SeeSaw.

Dear SeeSaw,

Last year I entered to win your 2010 calendar. I didn't win. I finally gave in and bought one. They looked beautiful in my room. This year, I'm entering again! Please let me win. They're soooooo beautiful. They would look fabulous in my new married apartment next year. Thank you for making beautiful calendars.

Love,

Ayumi

THE STORY.

I apologize in advance for taking so long to post this. And another apology for the lack of cheesy-ness and perhaps all the gushy, mushy details I have left out. (And sorry for any cheesy stuff that was left in the story. After all, it is a cheesy story and it was kind of hard to leave the cheesy parts out without telling you the story.) WARNING: This story has been extremely simplified.


May 29: The Break

Dean: Can I have some time to think about our relationship? I just don't know how I feel anymore.
Me: (PANIC!) ok. yeah. that's cool. (fine. maybe i shed a tear of two)

after a week of not seeing each other or talking to each other...


June 4: The Un-break

I tell Dean how I feel and how I love him and that I want to keep dating him. Dean tells me about the week and how he had a hard time figuring out what to do. I'm expecting him to break up with me so I start emotionally prepping myself not to cry.

Dean: So yeah...I just didn't know and I wasn't getting answers...and I was just so distracted the whole week and couldn't focus on anything and was miserable...and last night I just said I don't care anymore...

Me: (deep breath. here we go. don't cry when he says he wants to end things...)

Dean: ...and the earliest we'd be able to get married would be next April but I wanna be with you.

Me: (long pause with a very confused brain) .........wait. So...you're not breaking up with me?

Dean: ...ah...no? Not unless you want to? (Also a little confused to my reaction.)

Me: wait...what? (Around this time, the word "get married" finally registers). WHAT?

Dean: (a little concerned) ah...do you want to marry me?

Me: YES!

So we go to dinner while I'm still a little confused about the "get married" part. Later that night, he's ready to take me home. Right as I'm about to get in his car, he pulls me aside, and asks me the question.

Dean: Will you marry me?

Me: YES!

But Dean and I decided that we wouldn't tell anyone about our engagement until he had a chance to talk to my dad. And the sweet guy he is, he wanted to talk to my dad face to face. The earliest we were able to go to Austin with his DAT (dental test) craziness was at the end of August after school ended. But now we can tell everyone that

WE'RE ENGAGED!

We'll be getting married in the San Antonio, Texas Temple April 30.

Anatomy of Architecture

My BFA show was about relating 2 seemingly unrelated subjects and connecting the two by the use of symbols. I compared a human body to a building and created 7 symbols: heart, brain, skin, lungs, veins, skeleton, and muscles of a building. I placed all the symbols throughout the HFAC to their corresponding places. These symbols also became the advertising for the exhibit.












Special thanks to Dean and Yuji (pictured above), and Cristina.

Asian Stories

Have I ever told you my Asian stories? If not, get excited! Actually don't. Because mostly this is how an Asian story goes.

A random Asian: hi. are you Korean/Chinese/Taiwanese/Vietnamese/Everything except Japanese
Me: Uh...no. Sorry.
The random Asian: oh...(with a very disappointed tone of voice). Where are you from?
Me: well, I was born in L.A. but I consider Austin, TX my home.
The random Asian: oh...(even more disappointed) ok. What nationality are you?
Me: Japanese.
The random Asian: oh ok...sorry. ha ha ha ha ha ha.... (You know that Asian laugh that I'm talking about).

So about a week ago, I am walking to my work when a boy (an eager Freshmen to be exact) approaches me. Side Note: Now for those of you not at BYU, it is EXTREMELY easy for all of us to spot a freshmen boy because all men between 19-21 are gone on missions. So a boy is either a boy that looks like he needs to go back to high school or a man that seems like he's grown up a bit.

The random boy: Hi. Are you Chinese?
Me: no. sorry I'm Japanese.
Boy: Oh...ok. Were you born in Japan?
Me: No...I was born in L.A. but I consider Austin my home.
Boy: oh...do you speak any Japanese?
Me: yeah...I lived there for a little bit so....
(2 minutes of small talk happens while he follows me towards my work building)
Boy: well, sorry. I'm taking Chinese 101 and I thought you were Chinese so I wanted to talk to you. Well, I'm going this way so bye! (As he walks back the way we came).

I told Dean about this Asian story and totally forgot about it as the story was banked to my long list of Asian stories. But today, I was walking home from work when I hear:

Mysterious random freshmen boy: Hi. Are you Chinese?
Me: No...sorry.
Random eager freshmen boy: Oh are you from Taiwan?
Me: no
Random freshmen boy: Vietnam?
Me: no...sorry, I'm Japanese.
(here, I can't help but feel as though I'm having a deja vu moment...)
Eager freshmen boy: Oh ok. were you born in Japan?
Me: no, I was born here.
Eager freshmen boy: oh ok.
(and here, is where I realize that I just talked to this boy last week and had this exact same conversation!)
Mr. eager Chinese 101 boy: Oh well, I'm taking Chinese 101 right now and I was just wondering so...bye!
Me: good luck with that!

Mr. eager Chinese 101 boy, I hope you will find your Chinese person soon.

Seriously Insane!

Remember about my obsession for maps?

This is seriously insane. Karen O'Leary handcut these maps! Ahhh...my hand hurts just thinking about it. She's got a bunch more. Love it white on white better for sure.

YES PLEASE!!!!

Dear World,

Please stop making beautiful things that I want that I can't afford. Ah just look at that dress! And the collar on that jacket! And SeeSaw Design/Vintage, please stop posting these beautiful things on your etsy shop. It would greatly help me not covet these beautiful things that I do not need.

Love,
Ayumi

More Want?

Hmmm...if I had $50 to spare. OR maybe I could make a different version of this....
Can be purchased here.

Maps maps maps

I have a soft spot for maps. I've always been fascinated by them. Every time I go to a library, I go to the map section or the special collections, where they have old maps. But I saw this modern world map and I want it!!!! Isn't it beautiful? Designed by Jen Adrion + Omar from These Are Things.

BFA SHOW sneak peak....

And yes, this is how I reacted when everything was done!

Any narrators?

I made a 30-second promo for pushing daisies for my Aftereffects class and I need a Jim Dale-esq narrator. Anyone interested? Or know someone that would be interested?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXs7b6m9HVA
This is the kind of stuff I need.

Beautiful Chairs

Yes, I am working on my BFA and yes, my show is still going up next week...WHAT?

I'm taking History of Interior Design and Architecture right now. I don't think I've ever loved history so much in my life. I love learning about beautiful things! And not awful, people-killing wars. But one bad thing is that it makes me want more beautiful things that are so expensive that the chances of me having all of them is close to not happening anytime soon.

I wanted to get one for my friends one of these babies because she's obsessed with miniature versions of designer chairs. (Can be purchased here)

PS. Note how much these MINIATURES cost. Imagine how much the life-size ones cost. I want them all!!!! SOMEDAY I WILL BE RICH! (And yes, just so I can purchase these beautiful things.)


$670 (Le Corbusier's Le Grand Comfort)


$220 (Eero Saarinen's Tulip Chair)

$430 (Mies van de Rhoe's Barcelona)

$670 (Eames's Lounge Chair)

$265 (Eames's La Chaise)

$440 (Le Corbusier's Chaise Lounge)

$265 (Marcel Breuer's Wassily Chair)

And yes, I am still planning on purchasing one of these when I get a real job with a real paycheck. And by the way, the price went up since I last spoke of them.

Mini Pitcher

2 of these little guys arrived in the mail today. They fit snugly in my hands.

Cool.

My friends think that I'm embarrassed to be Japanese. Are you kidding me? They're awesome! Especially this guy: Kouichi Okamoto

Balloon Lamp


and Water Clock

Yes Please...

Truck's


and String

Beautiful....

Of course, found here: Crate and Barrel

My vow...

Back in November 2009, Thanksgiving week, I promised myself I wouldn't go shopping until my birthday. Yesterday, I was reminded by my favorite Banana Republic that my birthday is this month. They send me a gift certificate every March to lure me into their store. So, naturally, I went online to see what fabulous new collection they're coming out with. DISAPPOINTED! (Of course, except for the $300+ hooded leather jacket I spoke of earlier today. But even with my gift certificate it costs as much as my rent! So that's an automatic no.) I'm hoping they'll have better stuff by the end of the month. BR don't let me down!

But then maybe I'll buy a book that I've been wanting for awhile.

Or something from Anthro.

Or that letterpress machine I've been wanting. (Although I was quite disappointed by whoever printed the samples at some scrap booking store. So that may also be a no.)

Or save it for something big? NO, I have to buy myself a gift.

Dream come true...

Hooded leather jacket.

RIP

This made me want to cry today.

bebes and PROOF!

See...I don't hate babies. And Babies don't hate me.... (Although she does not look that happy in this picture.)

Recipe Cards

Recipe Cards I designed and letterpressed last semester. (Sorry, I do realize that the photography is awful. Don't judge!)

It's been awhile...

It's been almost 10 months since I've been in the HFAC so late. I caved in and got a late pass today. 1:28AM. I remember why graphic design is always a love/hate relationship.

My goal: 3AM

Snow Day

Ayumi: It's snowing.
Dean: No it's not.
Ayumi: Yes it is. I see snow on the ground.
Dean: But that doesn't mean it's snowing, it snowed but it's not snowing right now.
Ayumi: If I see snow on the ground, even if it's not physically snowing at that precise moment, it's snowing somewhere up in the mountains. YOOMS LOGIC.

Another want...

I want this!!! But...they only sell them in Korea....