cinnamon d*sign

       I want to cook. I want to be the kind of person who has the time to craft those beautiful, artsy, tasteful meals with long and mellow-sounding names, such as butternut squash soup, pear and hazelnut frangipane tart, mushroom and walnut quinoa with eggs and watercress and other marvellous concoctions of Cannelle-Vanille. Well, yes. I am a little bit envious of this kind of a talent and lifestyle. It seems so much more appropriate to be savouring life in such a creative, inspiring manner. Beauty, the kind of beauty that makes one's spine tingle and become all jittery, it's the kind that I've witnessed in my obsession with graphic design, letterpress items, typography, calligraphy, interiors, crafts, photography and yes, food as well. So, in a nutshell, I've been blessed. I'm a creative person and I say there's nothing better. I'd never want to be a City worker, a real estate agent or someone of the kind, despite the money they make. It's hard for me to say this at the moment because year 2011 has started with a tough kick, financially that is. I have to witness my dreams being postponed to "someday", which hopefully doesn't mean "never", at least not this time. I was forced to realize that I'm trying to live a lifestyle of a higher social level than that where I'd actually belong in. I'm not talking about anything luxurious or something. I'm not travelling around, having pets, expensive hobbies, a new car, I'm not studying or having lots of free time. But even the '95 car and rented apartment proves to be too much. I'm really angry with *the system* right now but I don't even want to talk about it any more. I hate to say that my boss keeps saying that I'm useless and can't do anything. I'm tired of saying that I want to have my own print shop business and tired of saying things like "We should get another car for next winter so that this one doesn't fall to pieces!" or "We must go to Nordkapp this year!" because I feel as if I were lying and being dishonest to myself. 

So, it's been a bad start to a year that I'd hoped to give us the kick-start we need. 

No, I'm not whining. It's just that I'm tired of this and yet I can't think of anything else. I'm being useless and not doing my job. Instead, I keep dreaming. Like I always have and always will. But the thing is, when I sent everyone "Happy New Year" messages, I wrote "Let's make this the year when we stop dreaming and start acting" and I meant it. 

So I'm just saying. How do we not lose it?

New look new look! I've been working on this for quite a while and now I've got an almost custom blog (based on Tumblr Strict) and I've learnt quite a bit on html, css and scary stuff like that. 

Please do enjoy the new look, however, I'm still working on it. I'd love to change the font of the post titles and dates, this one seems a bit too boring for me.. Maybe I should put some visuals on it. We shall see about that :) 

So today I realized what it feels like when I'm in my skin. It's the real me when I'm quite loud and quite fun, it's the real me when I'm very excited and emotional and it's really me when I talk a lot and with great enthusiasm. But it's also me when I sit quietly in the corner, contemplating other people and their behaviour, it's me when I feel insecure and worried. And it's *not* me when I kind of get all sucked in and hold myself back. So what's the real you like? Are you yourself all of the time or do you feel kind out of your skin sometimes? I guess the best of us do and it's only human but man, it does feel great to be your own self! 

Yesterday I tried out a photography technique that I'd learnt about some time ago. It's called reverse lens macro and guess what - it works perfectly! Here's a tutorial on the technique. I'll get down to some more macro photography during the weekend but for now here's my first photos! 

It's been a while. Ok, it's been a whole lot of time since I last posted anything. I was going through some soul-searching for some part of this time, some hard working and some relaxing and celebrating and now I've returned with a much brighter look on things and lots of New Year resolutions. Most of them are concentrated on working really hard on achieving something I've been dreaming about for my whole life. I'm not saying what it is but the idea is that I believe that this is the year when dreams become reality. 

2010 was, in fact, a great year. I had a career change (finally) in late spring when I started working in a printing house as a sort of a designer/idea generator/marketing specialist or whatever you call it. That was the first time in my life when I was actually being paid for designing so it was something big for me, a kick start to my designer career. By the end of the year my portfolio was as full of interesting projects as my CV of new skills. In the beginning of the summer I went to the UK, like I usually do, this time to Lake District and it was truly amazing. I had a couple of good road trips in 2010 and lots of revelations. All in all I feel as if I'm in front of an amazing, thrilling and exciting experience that's going to be life-changing. I feel like this is the year I grab life by its... whatever and do what I'm meant to do. I hope you're feeling full of energy and as excited about the year before us as I am. Happy New Year every single one of you. Let this be the most inspiring year yet. 

And since we're talking about inspiration here, check out where I like to get mine: Pinterest!

omg omg omg a five minute break during work hours! With all the Christmas invitations, ceremony awards, December presents and what not I usually have my workday so stuffed up with things to do that I don't have a minute to spare... The Christmas time is so busy and I'm so eager to do some extra preparation this year, making handmade presents, crafty packaging etc... I do hope that all that snowload of work will melt eventually and I'll be able to spoil my loved ones with very special gifts... I'd been hoping to begin putting some life in a little project of ours but alas - no time and energy left... Next year, I guess! 

It's been snowing here for, like, forever and now we have a really really thick blanket of snow which makes parking not so fun. Besides, this morning we all woke up to a blistering cold, so now I'm very much in a sit-at-home mood and I really wish I were a freelancer and could cosy up at home... But alas! I'm not a freelancer and I have to spend the whole day in an office. Since I feel I could start moaning about how I hate working office hours and being forced to sit in a dimly lit room all day so I guess I'll change the subject right now! :) 

Soo, I was browsing other blogs about interior design and decor8 enlightened me upon the very beautiful Danish interior design! And there it hit me - it's the perfect style for me - old meets new, rustic meets industrial! Cause I love both industrial and cosy country-inspired (think softness and lightness instead, not massive pine wood furniture!) interiors and guess what - it's a wonderful combination! 

/Images: Madam Stolz/

Plain concrete, natural wood, stone, linen, brick, earthy colours, glass, wool, metallics, patterns, textures, cosiness and warmth combined with practical storage spaces, crafty statement pieces and splashes of deep jewel tones creates the perfect backdrop for an inspired living! 

Check out more @decor8blog! 

      And this is some more decor8+Danish inspiration - Anders Schønnemann. 

        This is just amazing. 

It's such a pity that my Christmas invitations got rejected.. You know, there are times when you create something that you really really want to see live. I was so looking forward to seeing these invitations printed, they would've been so classy and sleek! In fact I think there'll be a time and place for these some time in the future. What do you think of them?

Often times one has the kind of dreams that seem to keep on nagging you throughout your waking life. Most mornings I don't remember my nightly adventures and live on peacefully. But I can still remember the unspeakable sorrow, pain and happiness I felt that one night in my dreams. I've never felt anything clearer than that night. I witnessed my own death. It was heart-wrenching to see the last minutes of your days and at the same time, I found what I'd been looking for my whole life, the ultimate peace and bliss, only to be destroyed seconds later. I think I have a story I want to tell you.

I still remember every single detail. We were driving along quite happily in a bright orange Saab 96. I'd never sat in a 96 before but turns out the interior in my dream was surprisingly accurate. Our small company was rolling through some anonymous country of the near East and there were guard posts all along the road. Even though we were chatting and happy in expectations of a great journey, I could feel a kind of an anxiety one feels when in danger. I guess I felt where I was going to. We approached a Soviet-era guard post, surrounded by men with rifles, eastern men with dark beards and lots of questions. It seems they couldn't decide whether we were a threat and let us go all too easily. Moments later we arrived. The city was incredibly busy and even though it was the East, the streets were paved with cobblestone and the buildings were tall and elaborately decorated. We were in the central square, filled with tables and summer tents, cafes and lots of cheerful people. And then it began. A rumbling that grew louder and louder, accompanied by distant shouts and explosions. We started running through the narrow cobbled streets, we went on and on without stopping or looking back... And then my companion just stopped. "I don't want to do this," he said. We went in a bar, quite large and filled with people sitting at their small tables and sipping coffee. Bombing thundered outside but it was a quietly uneasy peace inside. "This is where I stay," said my companion. "I don't want to keep running. I want it to end peacefully." I cried and tried to persuade him to come with me but he refused. And I left him sitting there at the bar and having his last supper. Now I feel that I did it too easily but I still don't know who was this companion of mine. One moment it was my boyfriend, the next someone else... I really don't know who he was but I left him there. I ran on, hearing the large building collapse behind me. I fled through narrow streets for what seemed an eternity and finally came to a little suburb cluster of small Southern houses, all white-washed and wrapped in green vines. All of a sudden it was all quiet and abandoned. I stood just stood there. The evening sun was shining brightly and as I was looking straight in the glowing disc, glistening through the vines, I thought this is so beautiful. I felt the ultimate peace melting in my worried mind and filling my hurting limbs. There wasn't anything else in the world, just this dreamlike moment, me all alone in it, out of time or place, all the chasing and fleeing, all the running and getting nowhere, all the worldly pain melting away in the glittery sun. I was so happy. It was what I'd been looking for my whole life. But it didn't last that long. I could hear a whizzing sound, growing higher in pitch. I looked behind me and could see a white and red aviation bomb lying on the ground. Don't ask me why it hadn't exploded but it was about to. I stepped aside and leant against the wall with my heart pounding. Even though I was terrified, even though my heart was racing, there was only one thought in my panic-stricken mind. I'm ready. And then the world faded to white. 

I couldn't live for a week or so. It was all I could think of. I had seen death as close as ever. I was so troubled I could barely function. Slowly and steadily that dream sank somewhere in the deepest compartments of my memory. But it still remains an important experience in my life that I'll never forget. Because believe me, it wasn't just a dream. 

P. S. Now it seems that my dreams had brought me to Albania. The image above is the old town of Berati, Albania and it's scarily close to what I saw, described as "made entirely of white and whitewashed stone and with grapevines over all". I'm quite sure that I'd find there the exact place where I was in my dream. 

So I thought I'd share some photos of the reality of Albania from the magnificent Magnum Photos. 

Copyright Paolo Pellegrin/Magnum Photos

I'm so glad things at work have taken on a more relaxed pace and I can shift some of my focus back on what I really want to learn and do. Since I'm so good at procrastinating, I've been putting off making a wreath and an advent calendar for ages. But now that I have a bit more spare time on my hands and the evenings are becoming longer and usually spent at home I guess I'll just have to sit down and get working. I've been thinking about the advent calendar and I decided to go for a vintage-y library card inspired look. I must get the supplies today and I think I'll put together a step-by-step overview later in the week so keep sticking around!

I've been thinking about my little (ok, quite big) dream as well. It's another thing in my life that I keep putting off. Because you know, it's easy to keep dreaming but it's really tough to get out of your comfort zone and actually work on fulfilling your dream. I guess it feels so unsafe because of the doubt you have in yourself and your dreams. All the 'what if's and 'what for's begin humming in your head, the ground shifts and there you are, feeling all lost and thinking "Is this what I wanted?". I remember once reading an interesting article on our generation's main problem being the massive pressure of choice. We have *so* many options that we can't stop thinking if maybe there's something better out there that I'm missing. 

/image: Cuba Gallery/

I've been so overwhelmed by choice my whole life. I'm the kind of person who spends an eternity in a shop because it's so difficult to make a choice between plum and navy. 36 or 38. Yes or no. This or that. And I always feel like I've made the wrong choice afterwards. I have a really big problem with making decisions because I'm always thinking of all the possible consequences even before making that choice. I set myself for disaster and feel miserable afterwards, punishing myself for making the wrong decision. However, as everyone else, I've been blessed with the chance to judge my actions from a better distance. Yeah, I know. Perspective. Another thing I'm not good at. But a couple of hours, days, weeks, months or years later, something that was a tragedy at the time doesn't seem like such a big deal. And the things that still matter, well, that's what really counts. So here's what I'm trying to say. In life there's big stuff and there's stuff that's not worth fretting over. Yes, there are the trivial things like family and friends and it *is*, well, on top of any list. But there's also being happy with who you are and what you do, how much effort you've put in making yourself and others happier. So please, don't put off being happy. Don't cross it out of the list as unimportant. Don't worry about all those nasty 'what if's and 'what for's, they'll have their time and place. Go ahead and make the choice to live what you love. Just do it! (that too if you feel like it!)

As you can see, I've changed the theme for my blog to this sleeker and more modern kind. I'm still not sure if I'm going to keep it or switch back to the previous one. Actually I'd love to do my own but I'm really weak at html, css and all the other geeky web stuff... So we shall see, I might test drive this one for a while...

Anyway, I'm having a rare breather here at work, it's been horribly busy around here these couple of days, it does feel like running in a wheel. I don't like all that chaos we have around here. For example now I'm sitting here with nothing particular to do because I'm waiting for a scan that I have to put on a postcard that has to be sent to print in, like, 16 minutes! And I'm supposed to have a meeting at 5PM. Not very realistic, is it?

And just as I was writing that the file came in and I rushed big time to send that file in time and guess what? It was there right on time!! Not to mention that I was rushing out of the meeting at 6:30PM to make corrections to that file... Nevertheless, we didn't have anything but an idea in the morning and 7 hours later it was all done! And I love the way it turned out. I was shooting away with both of the Pentax lenses and getting nowhere and then I just switched to Zenit and suddenly it all came together nicely for a really good, sharp photo. Oh I do love my old Zenit lens! 

And now for some more useful information :) I've gathered a couple of really great e-magazines on interiors and crafts. This is some great eye-candy! 

Sweet Paul

Now this is something really sweet!

Delicious food, amazing photography and inspirational crafts. Truly mouth-watering!

Cellardoor Magazine

A feminine and quirky e-zine on arts and crafts, culture music and fashion.

I love the delicate and feminine styling!

Rue Magazine

A colourful and fun e-zine on beautiful crafts, creative people and great style.

Oh and you can enjoy a whole lot of superb free downloads!

Nonpareil Magazine

This is just so beautiful! The design in soo cute and it's full of great ideas.

This mag is wedding-themed but there's certainly something for everyone.

Ivy and Piper Spring

Another good-looking interiors magazine that's so fun and bright!

I'd probably be drawing/painting these. They're soo adorable and so smart and witty and creative! I am in love with the book page - acrylic - pencil combo! I don't have any idea how does she do that but she's really *really* good at it! 

I'm talking about Sefora Pons, the author of these amazing illustrations that simply melt my heart!

And just look at *that*

I so wish I were as talented! These are so amazing that you wish you'd created them, don't you?

Luckily for us, this girl has an Etsy shop - check it out here! She has lots more of superb work there! 

vakar bija super-coool diena, jo ar vee un jee braucām meklēt kaa pee priekš orient.pasākuma un atradām foooršas vietas par kurām man nebija ne jausmas. just not to sound too miserable, es nepavadu visas savas dienas uz dīvāna :) 

/all images - property of their respective owners/

Hello, bloggy! It's been such a long time since I last visited you! I don't even know where to begin. I've been working last couple of days on the planner for my work, it's going to be quite an amazing little organizer since we decided on stepping aside from the traditional daily or weekly styles and come up with our own "priority organizer". I think it'll turn out great. I even made a special set of number styles for the dates and the whole organizer has a paper and note theme. I'll post some pics when it's done. 

In the meantime I got inspired by people posting their inspiration boards and tried to create my own *for the very first time*. I loved the idea of making an inspiration board that has its own colour theme so here's my try:

Isn't it yummy?

Image credits: Vita Arina, Dr Cullen, the super amazing, super talented Cannelle-Vanille, one of the very *very* beautiful works of Siebe, the equally elegant work of Rebecca Lily and finally the very tasty photo by Jurjen. 

*phew* lots of stunning photos on flickr! :) Since it's such an enjoyable experience, I guess I might try to do that, say, weekly? 

And now I'm off for pizza & a movie at V's parents and hopefully I'll have a more blog-wise productive and creative next week! 

Hi there, just dropped by to say hello and post an invitation I made for my colleague. I like the way it turned out, especially the decorative dividers! 

It's going to be printed on Conqueror Connoisseur 100% cotton paper. It would look much better if printed on a letterpress but this is just a one-off and turns out that we don't have a single letterpress in the whole country! 

Any kind of a job has a peculiar effect on me. Similarly to the blurred vision you get from staring in the computer screen whole day long, my mind gets blurred as well. Despite the fact that I have quite a creative job, being an "idea generator" and "kind-of-a-designer-too", I feel so... blunt. So I got to thinking and came up with

THREE WAYS TO FIGHT BLURRY VISION.

  METHOD No. I. 

CREATE. 

Being half Armenian, my mom has lots of name-days. "This time it's for real," said dad, so I crafted a simple, quite cheesy I guess, card for her. It's a great way to fight blurry vision and clear your mind of unnecessary items. You simply immerse in complete creativeness.

/mom's name-day card/

METHOD No. II. 

TAKE PHOTOS.

It was a lovely Sunday. The weather was clear and chilly as we walked through the Art-Deco building clad streets of Riga. So I took a couple of photos. It just makes me smile - the simple little pleasures. 

/photos: (c) Cinnamon Dsign/

METHOD No. III. 

WRITE.

I can't remember right now who said that. But that person had a point when she (I believe it was a she) said that any person has to write for 30 minutes every day. It clears your mind, enables you to empty your head. Write everything down, don't leave it weighing down on you. Write.