TRAP

hello again world, I'm STUCK. I have fallen to a trap with my job/career. I feel stupid because I apparently told myself (this year) not to fall again in this kind of situation. How you may ask, is a never-ending question we ask ourselves when we have already fell into it.

Presenting THE TRAP (this may or may not be applied to you, my dear reader)

1. PRESSURE.
You have just graduated from college or just got out from your old job. You live at your parents house your mom constantly asking you " when are you getting work?" or " when are you going to help me pay the bills?", or you have friends with great jobs (they fall on step2 ) they show you things that are bought from their salaries...etc AND you my friend, is finally starting to fall into the trap.

You will find work, a stable job. Perhaps, you will find what you think that is OK for you and your future.

2. LOVE
Congratulations! you have found a stable job. Yey! happy happy happy.
You are hyped because you made it to your first month, you earned from your salary and you just bought a new cellphone. You told yourself that you could do this forever as long as the salary kept on coming. You fell in love with your job.

many will linger on this stage because they will feel secure and it pays the bills...etc

3. BURN OUT 
You fell into this when all of sudden you fell out of love, maybe you just had a memo or your boss sucked,
or you didn't have a bonus during christmas, or work is being repetitive... (those factors) and  in the end, you felt like the salary that was given to you wasn't enough anymore. the bigger the salary, the bigger the wants.All of a sudden you became lazy at work because you are not enjoying it. You felt like there was no growth and eventually you...

4. RESIGN
That's it you were fed up. You resigned, quit, AWOL...etc because you couldn't take it anymore.
You said to yourself, you're going to change for the next job or probably take a better paying job...

And then before you know it your back at no. 1 all over again.

I'm currently on step 3, my third time on step 3 and I feel stupid not to have seen the trap before hand.
the only way to get out of the trap is don't follow the trap. change the trap so you don't fall for it.

LABO. but it works.

a word from a designer: FONTS you should not use

This post is dedicated to FONTS/TYPOGRAPHY you should not use as a designer/artist/tarpmaker/layout artist/common human being. I have live long enough, experience this and I will say I can't keep it anymore >__< I'm done. I see ads, posters, tarps, signage/s every single day. enduring the torture to my little eyes.. T___T having this fonts publish, and all I can say is, why? why are this fonts exists? gaaah

ok enough with the rant let's get down to the biz.


I have listed down some fonts that we cannot ever ever ever *bury it down 6ft under* use in our daily lives:

chillah, chillah nights!

CHILLER, 80's was over and so is this ancient font of horror, I hate it. Yeah it was cool then, thanks to MJ, but we could leave it alone in the coffin for good. Chiller font is not scary anymore, get over it. It was so 80's zombie movie. Today is the Plants vs Zombies, the walking dead era!

comical fun, yet not stylish at all

COMIC SANS. There is a reason why it was named comic sans, because it was use for COMICS, duh? People who use this might want to have FUN, HAPPY, and CASUAL feel to their collateral but it ain't good for you.AND comic sans in colors are the worst!

I have rather personal experience in this font, I designed a book with a comic sans font, *so true* BUT this is because it was a special book for people with dyslexia(whew, I actually spelled dyslexia right). I tried to argue with my art director, but he said the font was tested so that people with dyslexia can read the book *crime comitted* I personally hate comic sans because it's a joke, as a designer you don't put jokes in your ads.

There is even a site dedicated just to banned this font:
http://bancomicsans.com/main/

a lot of people hate comics sans, you should too!

Leave this to the Egyptians!

PAPYRUS, stop using this ugly font. PLEASE. I don't really understand why people kept on using this ugly font, it really looks cheap. AND it is not good for a company logo!

see how cheap looking this is, whoever did this logo must immediately die!

no matter what happens never ever use this font, unless you want to look cheap

another hate/love website dedicated to this:
http://www.papyruswatch.com/

love me darling, love me -monotype corsiva

MONOTYPE CORSIVA, I could forgive you for using this for invitations such and such, but seeing it makes me think that the artist who uses it lacks originality and concept. hmm sorry...

see this FORGIVABLE

this one is NOT!

my goodness, never ever use this font in BIG letters and CAPITALIZE it too!
I see a faggotory of layout in monotype corsiva, I really don't know why :<

CURLZ, the ULTIMATE jejemon font and...

  ...GIGI the 2nd ULTIMATE jejemon font (see how they look alike )

CURLZ and GIGI, if I could burn these fonts, I will.
Curlz MT is the ultimate jejemon font, why you asked me? because it is spelled CURLZ, with a Z.Gigi on the other hand is also likely a jejemon font, because of its similarity from its predecessor.

I see those typography everywhere, from menus, banners (a lot, nowadays because of the Christmas season), sale ads, it is even a title of a BLOG omg kill me, invitation cards, I mean almost EVERYWHERE. It was almost like the people that made all those things mention above is just one person. Because every time I see it, the font is laid-out in the same way, it was always colored in hot pink. >__< It really hurts my eyes! I'm gonna die >___<

Also, I hate this font because normal people who doesn't know design, use this with capital letters.

SIMPLE RULE OF THUMB: in basic typography, any decorative font is never used in all capital letters. (such as these hated fonts, monotype, corsiva, gigi and curlz) 

.
 I hated them so much, I don't use them. If you are from microsoft, please never ever install these fonts anymore, unless you want destruction to the human race.

P.S. Ok I just listed mine, I left out arial and times new roman because I could forgive them in some ways, do have any fonts in mind that shouldn't exists? tell me watchuthink ^__^

food review: KFC double down

I've been planning to eat this since I first saw it at yahoo news(that was way way before). God heard me and it's finally here at the Philippines. OMG. At the first week, I hadn't tried it because it was already sold out in some stores (BOOO) so I thought maybe it was that fact: bacon, mayo, cheese, sandwiched in 2 originally seasoned chicken fillet that made double down a demand >__< (after all, who doesn't love bacon?)

It really seems appetizing in the advertising

I was really really hype by this! until that day came (which is today), I had a chance to try it.
My friend Miggy told me that it wasn't that good and satisfying, I wouldn't like to make any comments about it beacause I havn't really tried it yet. SO, as I was saying, today is the day, I haven't eaten my 3:00pm snack so I would really be hungry when I am going to try this for dinner (they say it was a heavy meal). I went to the KFC banawe branch and ordered my double down sandwich. The gay cashier said I have to wait for 15 minutes (OMG the anticipation PLUS I was hungry) I was looking at the clock when they say 15 mins. the cashier even told me to wait a little while....

then after 15 mins or so, it came right into my table. ( I never told the cashier, I was having it for take-out)

 

COME TO MAMA (this is what it looks like)

SPECS:
HOT: because it was made-to-order for me ( it's 9:00pm)
SIZE: same size as my celphone
THICKNESS: I was surprise that the chicken is not really thick, in fact it's really thin like a fillet, it doesn't look anything like the poster above, others think that the whole package is small.
PRICE: I bought it with a regular ice tea 115, I didn't think this was fairly price for college students, for a working gal like me, it's ok.

I took a pic then seconds after that I sunk my teeth with it and here comes the final spec.

TASTE:  HONESTLY I WAS DISAPPOINTED :(

Sorry guys, but I think it's a FAIL for me, it's really oily and salty ( I don't know how I lived after eating this),
the mayo was too much (I had to remove some), the combination of flavours isn't what I would have expected, I mean, I love cheese, I love bacon, I love kfc chicken, not so much on mayo, but the whole thing..nah..
It's filling, but right after eating it, had this regret. I feel like I should have ordered a two piece chicken rather that the double down.

or

I should have eaten keema and rice at mr. kabab.

It barely made my expectations and confirmed miggy's statement: Double down is all hype and no bite.

Maybe KFC should try making cordon bleu or chicken kiev haha >__<

WISHLIST 2010

Is that time of the year again to be materialistic!(joke)

my wishlist:

Make UP brushes ( I really need a stippling brush, a round brush and a good kabuki brush)

 

make up case beacuse have lots of make up already >__<

dslr camera

 sewing machinery!!! ^__^

urban decay ( Alice in wonderland) 

 

 

 OR

I heard urban decay eye shadows are really good

travel

DOLLS!

there ^___^

a word from a designer: clients

Ok. I got angry with a client. Well not that angry, I just told him some frank words that might re-think the way he treats a designer/artist. You see guys, if you want a logo designed by a designer don't expect to come in a very cheap price. We designers, put time and effort to design and custom-made an idea of your specification. We also have a business, a business of art and design.
 

My scenario is this, a client ask me to design his logo for his up-coming business. He told me he hasn't got the budget, and if its ok to work on a very small budget (how small? lets say its not enough to buy me a 1 terabyte HD, still curious? check on sulit.com.ph for prices).

I said YES ok, BUT given with my terms and conditions.

I have agreed on:

Terms and Conditions:

- 1 design for logo

- 1 design for layout and illustration, if you will be needing more illustrations I would have to 

   charge a fee

- 2 revisions allowed, further than that I would have to charge a fee

-50% down upon starting

-50% balance upon submission of files

-copyright will belong to me

Note: Since this is a small business, I have allowed you to charge a small fee, this quotation is limited to ONE cart only, if you decided to extend a cart or create a booth or create a franchise, then I have to charge you with a fee for royalties (net of tax)for extension, limited to booth and cart; a separate fee for franchise of logo and illustration. Any unauthorized usage of logo and illustration will be subject to legal action, republic act No. 8293, presidential decree no. 49.

He already agreed (sunday), gave me a color scheme to work on, the deadline is on wednesday. I said "ok, but you have to deposit on monday for me to start working on the logo."  I gave him the terms (see terms and conditions) I ask if it's ok.

he said "OK" and logged out.

Monday came and I ask him if he had received and agreed to my email. Then, he suddenly tells me, we change the color scheme, do this do that, this is our competitor and just make a logo that looks like theirs,   hey can you whip me up a sketch for the design first?

I said "I have yet to confirm you deposit first before I could make a sketch :)  thanks."

then the client emailed me: what if we don't like the concept, we only get one turn right? is it going to be forfeited?

CLIENT TIP: If you're not sure if the designer is good, ask some of her/his portfolio samples, that way you have a preview of what quality he/she can bring to the table.In this case, I already had a DA acct, in w/c he already checked.

then I got really frank at him:

" you already knew what I am capable of as a designer, I thought that's why you hired me for.

Next thing, I'll also invest my time and effort to do you a logo, so actually the down payment is for my study already and FYI it's very cheap. Naka mura ka na nga actually, normally this logo costs XX because you are going to use this for business, in short you are going to earn from this, right?

Please always remember good design is not cheap. If you want just a plain logos that looks like your competitor, then go to the nearest computer shop and let them design for you,
and don't hire a designer and expect cheap design too :)

thanks "

after that he didnt emailed me again.(it was ok, but I really hope he learned a lesson)

P.S.I really did a study of the logo before he made any down payment I got excited to get to design again.

too bad for him(client) and this little guy T_T

a very early new years resolution

Christmas and New Year is approaching, well that is until next month. But since I'm super excited by the coming year I decided that I make my resolution early to remind myself that I wrote this: TIME IS FAST AND IT IS RUNNING OUT.

I mean, I'm having this quarter life crisis. I'm 25 years old and I still didn't have any money to buy a car, a house, or rent my own space, I didn't have something that I'm proud of like an award or accomplishement. I don't know what I did for the last 5 years, and looking back I see all this craziness, running away from home, quitting my job, see my bf flew to the states, getting fatter instead of thinner...etc *sigh* Seeing those things makes me want to regret things that I should have did, but I made an excuse so I didn't. I'm having this crisis that I'm 25, I have 1 bank account, and all I have is 3000pesos that's equivalent to nothing in some county's currency. If there is some force out there that's going to help me, we'll I'm going to need it...A lot of it.

So this time, I'm going to make it happen, I'm going to do it. make or break, at least I tried.

my new year's resolution 2011:

1. Start losing weight...Again. No cheating this time, I really need to do this. I am ok being chubby and cute but I don't want to be fat for the rest of my life.  I want to be able to go to SM and fit all the dresses I like and not return them to the saleslady and say "It doesn't fit me". This year, and the remaining days, is pig out days. But next year I have to control my appetite, Ill have to say no on extra rice, eat more veggies, exercise regularly, and have a healthy lifestyle. I want to show PEDZ that I could do it, and he'll eventually say "mami, will you marry me?" hahaha just kidding, I want him to say " mami, im proud to be your boyfriend, and you are so sexy and hot" hahaha!
2. Open up a business. YES. I'm truly ecstatic about this. I'll do anything as long as its legal, good and profitable. I honestly don't have anything to invest right now except for my talent. I have lots of ideas, I know of all people, that I could do this. (yes, I have to empower myself somehow)
3. Sleep early. Wake up early. I want to wake up like 7-8am next year, and sleep around 12 midnight, that's the LIMIT. As people say, early bird gets the early worm, If I'm going to put up a biz, I need to wake up early, do things early, stop saying TOMORROW. I need to say NOW.
4. Spend less. Save more. gee that sounded like a grocery.  I  need to jot down my expenses to remind myself how much I'm spending. I don't want to spend above my net salary. And save save save!
5. Read more books. I haven't had a book to read this past year. My vocabulary stinks and I'm having trouble expressing things in english (sorry) When I was in high school I was a fast reader because I was so addicted to romance novels (geez...) hahaha. But yeah I'll be definitely going to read more, and collect more books/art books. I need to stop relying on the internet for entertainment.
6. Do more ART, and have an exhibit! I haven't been doing this because I'm in a hiatus of finding my style. but I think I already found it now. My DA is crying right now, I know, Im going to leave DA, but im going to start somewhere again Ill be more prepared and more inspired! I'm excited to do more art and photography too.
7. Travel. I really like traveling in fact 2010 has been my travel year, I went to, batangas, baguio, abra, davao, tagaytay, and singapore. I had my first airplane ride with pedz. so happy. I would like to gho to boston or hawaii to see pedz next year, granted that I' ll have a tourist visa. I need you universe! pls make that happen!

so there you have it, wish me luck on this coming year ^__^
reminder to self: look at this when you are feeling down and hopeless.

double panda

Me and Pedz have been playing this game on the net, Double Panda by armored games. I like this game I think the concept is very cute, 2 pandas working together. We were so addicted to it because it's so cute ^__^ awe panda * I love PANDAS*

double panda: very cute game! The game is about 2 pandas helping each other yay!

Pedz finished playing it like a day. Me, being the no-hand-and-eye-coordination person, finished it for a century. OMG. But I did see the master. he's cute too! aweeeeee!! racoon master *^__^*

giant panda, red panda and racoon master <3

multigrain snack review

I have been eating multi-grain snacks for a while instead of junkfood. And boy, I thought it would not be appetizing to chow on granola bars, but NOVA caramel peanut crunch, wow, when I first tasted it, it was so yummy, the sweetness is just right(not so sweet like nutribar) and it has only 99calories...so guilt free! I'm just having difficulty finding it, because I think it is only available in 7/11 stores, I tried looking for it at SM and shopwise, not available. it costs me around 10 pesos( you can see the price on the pic) . It was so yummy for me that I had to tell you about it!

nova multigrain bar(only 10 pesos)

yummy! sorry for the photo I use a cellphone>_<

I also tried the quaker oats oatmeal cookie in raisin and in honey nuts, I bought it at shopwise, they had a sale buy one take one on the cookies at 10 pesos. I wasn't so amaze by the taste. It tasted too dry for me and the sweetness is also okay, I guess it wasn't that sweet.

I just like these because of their packaging >_<

Quaker oats also have granola bars, I have already tasted it a year ago, but didn't like it because it was too sweet for me, if  I'm not mistaken I tried the chocolate chip and smores flavor.

perfect for the sweet tooth

I'll be buying again on 7/11 for more NOVA. I really think that this is a great alternative to my sweet junk food ^__^

My first make up gigs!

Yeah I had gigs.

At that time I was so into make-up, ( I dunno why, maybe because I'm suddenly becoming a LADY..haha) I got really obsess by it that I watch michelle phan's videos on youtube over and over again. She's a pro on changing her looks.

I bought an eyeshadow palette online c/o dollface cosmetics http://swtangel.multiply.com/ 

I love it because it has many colors, highly pigmented ( I use this on the looks below) ^_^

Photo credits: http://swtangel.multiply.com/

I bought the basic 88matte palette that michelle used on some of her vids

I also bought some products on WATSONS/SM. The local ones, together with a set of brushes.

My boss(also my boyfriend's sister) gave me a set of elianto cosmetics, a korean brand.

She gave me a neutral eyeshadow palette, foundation, a white lipliner to start off. (I'll upload pics on my future posts)

My boyfriend had a photoshoot, but didn't have money to hire a make up artist. He needed me for his class because he's taking up basic photography (this was months ago btw, I hadn't blog about it so I'll just post everything on one post)

MODEL: Carmela Cucuenco

 

before ( I just took a random pic on her facebook, because I forgot to take a pic of her)

AFTER credit to pedz for the pics

Ok.  the second gig that I had is another photoshoot with hendirk lerios and edz avancena, they're great photographer friends of mine, I ask them if they want to have a shoot with me being their make-up artist and they've agreed

MODEL: edz avancena

before

after: credit hendrik lerios for the photo

Then I had a third gig, This one is really challenging because my model is a pageant contestant, Janissa De Leon. Aditha, my other colleague who is also a photographer, invited us to there place at batangas, the weather was so bad, it was raining hard, frequent blackouts, we thought we might not push through to the shoot, but there were times that it was cloudy so we just tried to make out the most of what we have.

It was a two day shoot.
DAY 1:

before

after: I took this photo, I also shoot ya know!

 DAY 2:

after2: credit aditha bautista for the photo

So watchathink? ^__^
I'm really enjoying being a make-up artist, if you know me personally, I dont do make-up on myself, but I do now(more on that later). I also styled the hair for the shoots above, I really like making people beautiful!
More shoots to come!

New Blog?

YES. There was DA. There was livejournal. But I think I'm going to stick with this new blog.
Hello there anyone if there's actually looking at this.I'm Lesley.I'm going to write stuff about me, about life, about art, about my parents, about work, about traveling, about marshmallow,about everything I know under the sun... so yeah sometimes I'm going to rant about things but who cares, right? Your not oblige to read it anyway.

So there hello and if you ever come across this blog of mine, sorry you got caught.


thanks
lesley