MEET Elizabeth Jackson! She’s from Los Angeles and her blog Please Note encompasses food, crafts, I Love Lucy and more. Enjoy the interview and check back later today for a giveaway from her Etsy shop!

When did you start blogging as “Please Note”? When did you set up your Etsy shops? My paper Etsy shop came first. I opened it about a year and a half ago, specializing primarily in invitations. After expanding the shop a bit, I decided to start the blog. The blog will be 1 at the end of this month and I’m thrilled with how much it’s grown. With each new reader, I’m motivated to make it better and better. The newest part of the my little trilogy is the vintage shop.[Below: a bit of her growing nesting doll collection]

What does your blogging schedule look like? I try to write five posts each weekend and post one per day during the week. The order of my posts pretty much depends on how I’m feeling each day.

What are your favorite types of blog posts that you create? What seem to be the most popular among your readers? I LOVE posting recipes. I try to do at least one recipe per week. Not only do I really enjoy cooking but taking photos of the entire process is really fun too. These posts also seem to be the most popular. [Below: her peanut butter chocolate chip cookies]

Your shops are amazing!! How do you go about promoting them and what are you most popular products? I’m proud of my shops and how much they’ve grown, especially the paper shop. I’m so busy during the week that the amount of orders I’m receiving now is just enough, so I actually don’t do much promotion. My most popular product is definitely the dinosaur birthday invitation. I’ve had moms on numerous occasions tell me that their son or daughter picked them because of the “realistic and scary” dinosaur.

Do you blog and sell through Etsy full time or do you have another “day job?” I currently work full time as a product photographer. This is why I tend to write all of my blog posts over the weekend. I post one each morning before I head off to work. [Above: pom pom garland that she blogged about]

What advice do you have for those that are thinking of or just starting to blog? I think the most important part of blogging is to not get discouraged. It was definitely a slow start for me, and that’s why I’m so grateful each time I see that I have a new reader. Also, make sure that you’re blogging about things that really interest you. Like I said before, my favorite posts are my recipes and those posts are also the most popular. That’s no coincidence. Blog about what you love and people will love your blog. [Above: DIY Black Apple Doll tutorial that Elizabeth blogged about]

If you want, you can follow Elizabeth on Twitter and be sure to visit her blog and two shops! Check back this afternoon for a giveaway from her paper Etsy shop! *All photos by Elizabeth Jackson

MEET Emmy [aka the Goody Two Shoes] from Columbus, Ohio. She’s a DJ who loves music, making playlists, and found a way to combine her love of unique music with her skills in broadcasting. Enjoy the interview and playlist!

Why and when did you start DJing? I started DJing in 2006. I studied broadcasting at Otterbein University, where I had my own radio show for four years called “Emmy Becomes Eclectic.” Last year, I decided to turn my love of music into a DJ business. I’ve always enjoyed making playlists of my favorite songs and sharing them with as many people as possible. I like getting people excited about new bands that they may not have heard otherwise and, most of all, I like to get them dancing.

What types of events do you DJ? Weddings, house parties, dinners… really any event that would be made better by great music.

What kind of equipment do you use? How has it changed over time? I use a LaCie Rugged hard drive, which works great if you travel a lot with your music gear, especially if it has the potential of getting dropped or even stepped on. The LaCie Rugged brand is meant to protect your music even if it’s been through the gauntlet. I used to use a big, bulky Buffalo brand hard drive, which was really fragile and unreliable. I’m glad I made the switch.

The laptop I use is an Apple MacBook Pro. I have Ultrasone headphones, which give you the feeling that you’re hearing your music performed live. I also have a mixing board, a Yamaha MG. It’s lightweight and also travels well. I use 2 Mackie speakers, which are smaller, but pack a big sound.

If I were to hire you to DJ a party, what kind of planning process would that entail? If you were to hire me, I’d first find out your favorite music. I would then create a playlist based on that and the type of event; if it was a house party, I would select more upbeat tracks to keep the party lively. If you hired me to DJ a wine tasting, I’d select songs more downbeat and “cool.”

Currently what are your top 5 favorite songs at the moment?

1. St. Vincent- “The Party”
2. Best Coast- “When I’m With You”
3. Lana Del Rey- “Videogames”
4. The Kinks- “Strangers”
5. Al Green- “Let’s Stay Together”

To hear some of Emmy’s playlists, you can here on Spotify or on her website!

Photos by The Rogue Magnolia

MEET Liz. I’ve been a longtime fan of Liz’s blog Srslyliz.com and I am so excited to feature her in the MEET series. She has lovely taste, shares such amazing finds, and truly inspires me to be a better blogger! Here’s a little more information about Liz pulled from her blog:

Liz Franco is a freelance web + graphic designer born & raised a California girl. She currently holds a full-time job related to politics but after finding herself consistently dabbling in all things design-related decided to upgrade her hobby into what she hopes to soon establish as her main squeeze, also known as Operation: Flee the cubicle.

Liz resides in a victorian era downtown home with her boyish beau Glenn & their ewokian pooch sir Walter. She enjoys playing dress up, vintage treasures, being a social butterfly and probably couldn’t live without her iPhone, Kindle or Asiago cheese.

1. I loved finding your blog because I could really resonate with holding a day job and juggling freelance, creative hobbies, and everything else that interests you. What does your day-to-day schedule look like? Do you designate certain days to work or play? It’s really, really, REALLY draining most days. You have to work super hard in order to get a big pay-off but I truly believe its possible. With the help of my Erin Condren Life Planner I’m able to stay organized and on top of things for both my personal and online life. On an average day I work from 8-5, come home, eat dinner, block out a few hours for design work/blogging/emails & then curl up on the couch or in bed with my laptop watching movies or have a date night with the boyfriend. Some days, however. I just know that creatively I’m drained and nothing productive will come about so on those days I just try to relax and focus on doing something nice for myself like painting my nails or downloading a new Kindle book.

2. Lately, what helps you feel balanced? Lately I’ve found that unplugging does wonders for my sanity. No tweeting/blogging/checking emails brings my stress level WAY down when I’m feeling overwhelmed. A glass {or 3} of wine & catching up on American Horror Story are my ideal relaxing nights in.

3. What are three things you must do every day, no matter what? Drink water // Wear mascara // Call my mama

4. Where and when did you get Walter, your cutie pie pup? We got Walter almost 3 years ago, from a breeder. He’s a Brussels Griffon and Glenn’s dream dog so we actually traded services–a re-designed website for a puppy :)

5. Share a movie, book and song that you are currently loving. Puncture {such an eye-opening film} // Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) {hilarious must-read} // My World {oh hello, girl crush}

6. Any tips for those about to jump into the blogging world? Be committed, hire a blog designer, make friends, develop your own voice & be nice to everyone.

To learn more about Liz you can subscribe to her blog, follow her on Twitter, Dribbble or Tumblr,

I’m excited to be bringing back the MEET series! I have a wonderful list of amazing individuals that I’ll be introducing you to within the next few months. Today I’d like you to meet Blaine Hogan. Blaine is an artist, actor, writer, producer, and  Creative Director at Willow Creek Community Church. His blog has been one of my staple reads for the past year and he recently released his book, UNTITLED. Enjoy the interview below:

1. While you were writing UNTITLED, what did you find most challenging about the creative process? The entirety of the book is about the hard work of making things and so as I wrote, I kept realizing how much of my own advice I was needing to take. The very fact that the book exists means that I had to try and apply all the principles I was talking about. It was humbling to say the least.

2. What art/artists (outside of writing) inspire you? I’m extremely moved by film and love Danny Boyle. Music is also a huge inspiration and lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Barcelona, Future of Forestry, Lia Ices, and Jon Hopkins.

3. What typically overlooked or mundane things/places inspire you? Cleaning my workspace I’ve found is a great centering technique. Now you can get carried away and use it to procrastinate (which I sometimes do), but when done well, cleaning my workspace simultaneously cleans my mind along with the area I’m about to do my work. Brewing coffee is another thing that inspires me. There is a richness and romanticism to knowing how long and how many steps there were to making this hot, steaming drink that somehow makes me have better ideas.

4. How long did the process of writing this book take? I’d been working on the content for the last 12 years as actor and artist through journals and notebooks. The writing of the actual book took about 6 months.

5. What kind of tools and software did you use? I used a few different tools. I started analog with all journals and notebooks. After wading through those mining for the best material and ideas I moved to Evernote. This is where I kept a running log of chapters and new ideas as they came to me. When I needed to free-write in a clean and clear space I’d open up Ommwriter. I then did the final layouts in Pages.

6. How has the self-promotional aspect been? Not bad, other than the stark realization that no one is going to promote your stuff for you. As an actor I learned pretty early on that if I didn’t look at promoting myself as a business I would never work. I think most artists struggle with this aspect of the work, but I know very few artists who make a living at being an artist without doing some form of self-promotion.

7. You’ve accomplished a lot (creatively). You’ve been an actor, auditioned for theater, you write, you’ve produced. How has this influenced your book and what’s inside? Thank you, Allie. Such a kind thing to say! Because I’ve been so fortunate to work in so many different mediums, I’m able to apply to principles from so many different aspects. My hope is that because of those many facets, anyone who makes anything can find UNTITLED meaningful.

8. How has your identity and core affected your process? I’m so glad you asked this! In fact, in all my interviews, no one has asked it. And in fact, I believe it’s the most important thing. Far too often we focus only on the product – the thing we make – without really taking much time to work on the producer. I’m of the opinion that our insides directly affect what we produce and that the best art comes from the inside, out. Knowing thyself is the THE KEY to making good art.

This week I’d like to introduce Elizabeth Schuppe. Elizabeth is fine artist living and working in Brooklyn, New York. I have always been a huge fan of her paintings and so when she agreed to participate in this series, I was floored. Here is an excerpt from her site :

“Color, line, shape, texture, and light are the media that express the emotion in my work. Rather than creating a recognizable object, I use the elements of painting itself to allow the story to unfold. There is no plan in my painting, yet there is process. I let a color, a line, a shadow dictate what comes next.

The purpose is to create expression and emotion strictly out of shape and color – completely abstract. My best works are the ones that just happen, when I allow myself to be surprised.”

1. How long have you been painting? I have been painting since I was a kid but I really didn’t learn how to paint seriously until I was in college. I’ve been professionally painting for about 5 years.

2. Have you always painted abstractly or have you ever painted realistically? I only painted realistically when I was in school. As soon as I was allowed to paint freely – I went abstract. Even my realistic pieces were on the abstract side – it as just in my nature.

3. You mention on your site that there is not a plan in your paintings but can you expand on what your process includes? I always start with a color that I’m into at the moment. Once I put down a color and shape, that tells me what to do next. I just keep building from there – more colors and more shapes, always responding to the mark I made before.

4. A lot of the work on your website was created on a larger surface. Do you ever work on smaller canvases or paper? I haven’t worked on paper, or small, in a long, long time. Up until now. I had to give up my studio and have been forced to work at home so I started to work on small blocks of wood. But mostly my style of painting works better larger.

5. How do you spend your time painting? How long can the process take from start to finish? It’s really hard to say how long the process can take. It depends on so many (primarily) internal factors. Sometimes I can finish a piece in a week, other times it will take a month or two. I usually get to the studio in the morning. I work much better then. I’ll often work for four or five hours without much of a break except for a coffee or lunch. Once I’m into something I don’t want to stop. Things outside are so distracting and I always listen to music. Always. It keeps me company in an otherwise lonely profession.

6. How is the process different when creating a mixed media piece (compared to a painting)? I tend to be more careful when doing a mixed media piece. Maybe it’s because of the reactions that different materials have to each other, or maybe it’s because I feel less free with different materials. Other than that the process is quite the same.

7. How influential was your time in school compared to your time after school? I learned so much in school about how to paint the “right” way. How to mix colors, to see proportions but it wasn’t until I got out of school that I found my own voice. It’s a hard question to answer but I think I’d have to say my time out of school shaped more of who I am as a painter.

8. Do you sell the work that has already been created or do you take custom commissions? I only sell work that I’ve already created. I’ve done commissions in the past and they never have turned out how I wanted them to. I hate to make paintings that I’m not proud of at some point. It’s really hard when you don’t have control over the decisions.

9. If you could give one piece of advice to a fine art student, what would it be? Sometimes you need to take what professors say with a grain of salt. I once had a painting teacher that told me “never use white.” I didn’t listen and that was the right choice.

This week on MEET, I’m featuring Karmen Low. Karmen is a twenty-three year old designer in Grand Rapids and is so incredibly talented. Besides talent and great design, she’s also hilarious so enjoy this interview and take a look at her site and blog!

1. At what point in your life did you know you’d be an artist? It was probably in 3rd grade when I came home from school with a note from my teacher informing my mom that on that day’s spelling test, I chose to illustrate the spelling words instead of spelling them. That summer she enrolled me in a summer art class, and I remain to this day, a horrible speller.

2. Do you have another talent/passion/hobby? I had trouble thinking of an answer to this question…I work way too much…so I’m open to suggestions as to what my new hobby should be. Just don’t say knitting. Been there, done that. It wasn’t pretty. I do enjoy photography quite a bit. It’s refreshing how you can take a picture and it’s either a good shot or a bad shot…it’s not so subjective. Here is a shot from a series I began my senior year in college. It’s been well over a year since I started it, and I really don’t know if I’ll ever feel like the series is complete…but here’s a sampling.

3. Who has been the most encouraging person in your life? It has the be the classic 3 Ps. My parents, peers and profs. My parents have really empowered me to do what I love. My peers have always been so encouraging to me, while still challenging me to grow and stretch myself.  I owe a lot to them. And my professors have spurred me on when I was doubting that I had any business being in this profession in the first place. Many many thanks to all.

4. What inspires you? Truth (with a capital T), new freelance clients, running wild, caffeine, meeting new people with unfamiliar perspectives, furniture/interior/product design, joyful collaboration with great people. There can’t be great design without great ideas.

5. What medium still intimidates you? Painting makes me shake in my boots. And wedding photography gives me cold sweats. I photographed my first (and last…) wedding this summer for a friend. Hats off to all you wedding photographers out there…you are far braver than I am. Here are some of my favorites from the weekend.

6. What artistic trend do you dislike? Grunge. Ack.

7. What has been your favorite piece of someone else’s art up until this point in your life? If I had to pick one…it would be Accession II by Eva Hesse.

8. Do you design full-time? If so- where and what has that experience been like? Right now I’m at Cornerstone University in GR as a designer. This job has challenged me in very unexpected ways. It’s broadened my knowledge base to include not only designing totally rad stuff, but also a fair amount of marketing, pre-press, strategy and branding — all in all, pretty useful stuff. I also volunteer on occasion as a masked super-villian whose sole purpose is to bring about the utter demise and annihilation of IE — one useless toolbar at a time. Or maybe that would make me a super-hero…

9. Do you think you have a specific style? What is that style and do you see yourself evolving out of that anytime soon? Well, first, I’m a serial dabbler. My job and degree are for graphic design, but I also do a lot of photography and web stuff on the side. When it comes to design, I’m completely gaga for design that makes you slap yourself in the forehead and say “why didn’t I think of that?” I don’t get to see/do that very much in my day-to-day groove, so when I do, it’s a treat.

My preference always seems to lean towards the simple, thoughtful, crafted, minimalistic, typography-driven. I truly believe in the mantra “form follows function”. Decoration can have function, but it can also detract. I always try to envision the setting in which my pieces will be experienced before I even put pen to paper. Good design is so logic-driven that if you don’t begin with the expectation of function and appropriateness, you’re kind of doomed. If you communicate what you need to say in the simplest way possible, then you’re off to a really good start.

This week I’m honored to share some thoughts and work from designer Ben Tousley. Ben is an extraordinary artist and is someone that I truly admire. His style is phenomenal and I was so excited when he agreed to participate in this series and share his work. Ben is twenty-three and resides in Bloomington, Indiana. Some of his work includes album art for Grizzly Bear, Holiday Shores, Rogue Wave, and Sondre Lerche (images below). Enjoy this interview! It is one of my favorites.

1. How long have you been designing and what are some of the most important or influential moments that have occurred since you started? I started designing in high school as an editor of our school’s news magazine. When I  came to college for design I was lucky enough to have some great freelance opportunities early on which have all been really important experiences while I’ve still been in school.

2.  Are you currently designing full-time? Right now, I guess I am essentially. In addition to working on freelance projects most of the time, I’m also a designer at the Indiana University Alumni Association. However, aside from that, I’m still in school until August of this year.

3. When you’re working on a project, what does your process look like? Is it different for every situation or are there components that exist throughout most of your projects? At this point, it really changes from project to project and is almost always dependent on who I’m working with. Everyone is different and I think with the type of work I’ve done so far it’s been important to feel things out at first to make sure everyone’s happy as things progress. For example, most of the time I’ve been working with bands who might not have worked with a designer before but still have a strong feeling for what they’d like. So, I’ve found it’s best to be sensitive to that at all times. It’s also been good for me because I think it’s helped me learn how to be flexible not only with the way I work but also the kind of work I’m doing. It’s no fun to do the same thing each time, in my opinion.

4. How do you stay motivated and how do you keep inspiration a part of your day-to-day life? There are so many people doing so many amazing things out there. I never feel like I need to look very long before I get that ever so inspiring “Ben, you’re worthless” feeling yet again. And for this I am thankful.

5. Are there any design trends that you’re really excited to see emerging? Are there any design trends that you wish would disappear? I’m not necessarily into any one trend over another as much as I am into people doing solid work. If anything, I think the trends get a little boring. I have some favorite artists out there, though. I could list them for days. That said, there’s nothing I’m particularly wishing would go away, either. It’s a lot more fun to just pay attention to the good stuff.

6.  How do you integrate print and web design in your work? At this point most all of my projects have been for print. I’ve recently been getting more into web design with a couple projects, but print work has generally been what I’m interested in the most.

7.  How do you connect, network and collaborate with others? Aside from a couple of random connections, I’m not really that good at networking and wouldn’t say I know what I’m doing. Or at least I don’t feel like I’m as good as I’m supposed to be? It’s not really something that bothers me too much either. I’ve felt very lucky to work with some wonderful people that I’ve really grown to love — I just hope to continue that.

Thanks to Ben Tousley for providing all this lovely work! Check back tomorrow for a new post in the “One Day” series.
 
 

This week’s MEET features one of my favorite bands, Kopecky Family Band. Band member Kelsey Kopecky was sweet enough to participate in the interview after traveling back from SXSW where they were performing. I met Kelsey about four years ago in Nashville while she was attending Belmont University and I’ve always been a fan of her music. Kopecky Family Band consists of Kelsey Kopecky (Vocals/keys), Gabe Simon (Guitar/Vocals), Ben Kaufman (Violin), Corey Oxendine (Bass), David Krohn (Drums), Steven Holmes (Lead Guitar), Markus Midkiff (Cello). They are located in Nashville, Tennessee and you can listen to their music here or follow them on Twitter. Their new album “The Disaster” is out May 2010 but you can download a couple tracks off their site for free! Enjoy the interview and enjoy the beats.

01. At what point in your lives did you know you’d be musicians? We all come from all over the US and met at Belmont University in 2007. Our musical backgrounds vary.. but mostly we are classically trained music enthusiasts that love creating art. I personally, (Kelsey) knew I wanted to be a singer when I saw a Monterrey pop festival documentary of Janis Joplin performing “Ball and Chain” at my grandma’s house. Everything about her passion and messy honesty won me over.

02. Do you have another talents, passions, or hobbies? David enjoys a great record and the latest tech news. Kelsey likes rock climbing and origami, Gabe loves video games, Markus likes to play chess, Steven likes traveling to his birthplace in the Philippines, Corey likes meeting new people and native American culture, Ben likes to drink coffee in the morning and tell jokes.

03. Where has your encouragement come from? We all come from great families. On our tours we’ve had the privilege of visiting the home towns of almost all 7 members. Each home is warm and welcoming. I think the support of our families and encouragement to sharpen our craft as musicians is the reason we are able to do what we do.

04. What inspires you? Gabe is inspired by ALL THINGS VIDEO GAMES! He’s probably the most talented video game player I’ve ever seen. I like to watch him play. It’s pretty wild.

05. What has been you favorite piece of someone else’s art up until this point in your life? I know David, our drummer would probably say his record collection. David really cares about genuine artistry and the person behind the music. His favorite’s include Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Jack White, Bill Withers, Al Green, and of course The Beatles.

06. Is your music full-time? If so- what has that experience been like? Right now we are juggling school, part-time jobs and touring and recording. It’s definitely a struggle. The need to make music a priority in hopes of it being able to be a priority while paying your phone bill is a challenge. I think we do a good job of balancing it all. David is at Belmont finishing up his Music Business degree.. working part time at the Rock Climbing Gym. Kelsey is a Belmont graduate (Dec 08) and works at a hair salon called Fruition. Gabe is a student at Belmont studying Entrepreneurship. Corey is also a student studying Audio Engineering. Ben is a Marketing student at Belmont working part time at a sushi restaurant. Markus plays cello as a studio musician when possible and does valet parking. Steven is working at Urban Outfitters. We are busy kids who have made weekly practices a priority for 2 years.

07. Do you think you have a specific style? What is that style and do you see yourself evolving out of that anytime soon? Because of the wide array of influences that each of us has on an individual level, our music can’t help but have a somehow pleasant bipolar personality.  There are moments of intricate string movements that are outlined by moving drumbeats, vocal melodies that are both emotionally deep and catchy, tempos that challenge our classical brains to think…a little bit of everything. I like that our music has an element of intelligence and sass. It’s like a smart pop song that makes you want to listen closely. It’s constantly changing. Every practice we are writing a new song that is completely different than the last. But somehow the familiar “kopecky-ness” is in all of our songs.

I’m excited to featured Aldan Shinault, a twenty-three year old designer originally from Illinois. Aldan and I went to high school together and we were able to reconnect this year. It’s so awesome to see how Aldan has grown as an artist. Enjoy looking at his work and reading some of his thoughts about life and art.

01. At what point in your life did you know you’d be an artist? I’ve loved drawing and have been more of a visually stimulated kinda guy since I was a little kid.  It runs through my veins, and thus my being an artist was never really a decision.

02.  Do you have other talents, passions, or hobbies? I have a passion for interior decorating and Ferrari automobiles.  As a hobby, I buy clothes.  Lots of clothes.  It’s becoming a problem.

03. Who has been the most encouraging person in your life? My mother has always been the most encouraging person in my life.  Since day one she has gently guided me, but has always given me enough room to make necessary mistakes.

04. What inspires you? Artistically, I’m inspired by:

• the complexity of God and Heaven
• geometry
• The Godfather part 2
• Louis XIV style furniture
• 1980s fashion
• alignment and symmetry
• palm trees
• the subjectivity of beauty

05. What medium still intimidates you? As far as intimidating mediums, I’ll have to stick with traditional film movie production.  I mean, I got my degree in that sh*t… but it kicked my ass through-and-through.  I don’t wanna be anywhere near a film camera ever again.

06. What artistic trend do you dislike? Pop art — simplistic approaches to appropriating images.  Just… unoriginal in every sense.  Andy Warhol is f*cking evil.

07. What has been you favorite piece of someone else’s art up until this point in your life? The photography of my buddy Kristina Bereolos.

08. Do you design full-time? If so- where and what has that experience been like? I used to design full-time when I lived in Chicago.  At present, I work at a private greenhouse / flower garden.  There I maintain orchids & roses, feed chameleons, and read.

09. Do you think you have a specific style? What is that style and do you see yourself evolving out of that anytime soon? I’d say my style is sexy, subtle, in-your-face, and smooth… all jumbled into one well sewn, highly detailed package.  I ain’t never gonna change!

This week’s MEET features J.M. Scott, a 30-year old graphic designer from Indianapolis who designs full-time for the Public Relations Department for the State of Indiana. This artist’s simple answers and wonderful illustration work speaks for itself! Enjoy!

Q1. At what point in your life did you know you’d be an artist? While in high school I was interning as a microbiologist (through my chemistry class) and I got to create my poster on a Mac using Corel Draw. There was something about illustrating petri dishes on the computer that inspired me.

Q2. Do you have another talents, passions, or hobbies? I really love screen printing. I work mostly on different paper. I’m not really into the fabrics.

Q3. Who has been the most encouraging person in your life? My mother.

Q4. What inspires you? Quotes. I love to take quotes and create illustrations. Photojournalism, like the photos found on Boston.com’s “The Big Picture.”

Q5. What medium still intimidates you? Watercolors. I’ve tried it but I still don’t have the hang of it.

Q6. What artistic trend do you dislike? I have trouble getting into a lot of abstract art but I love Jackson Pollock.

Q7. What has been you favorite piece of someone else’s art up until this point in your life? Ralph Steadman’s Animal Farm illustrations.

Q8. Do you think you have a specific style? What is that style and do you see yourself evolving out of that anytime soon? I’m not sure of my style right now or where I want it to go.