November 2014 - Veda House Veda House

Inspired By: Trouvé Magazine (Get a free copy!)

ART & DESIGN

It’s black friday!!! Woooop Woop. Haha. I don’t really indulge in the mall madness, but I do enjoy the holiday hustle and bustle. Wanted to drop in today with a fun inspiration post for those of you doing some online shopping. Trouvé Magazine is one of my favorite “in print” magazines (alongside other favs like Kinfolk, Sweet Paul , Collective Quarterly). It’s pages are filled with creative inspiration, food & city guides, artist interviews, shop visits, etc – all beautifully photographed and perfectly bound with high quality printing/paper.

My client, The Citizenry is offering a FREE copy of the newly released (hard to find in stores) second issue of Trouvé Magazine with any purchase. You also get complimentary gift wrap & free shipping from today until December 2nd, so don’t hesitate too long 😉 Head on over and shop my favorite items – The Zua Lamp, Light Cowhorn Tumblers & The La Brisa Throw. I’ve also added Issue Two to my Amazon wish list 😉

**Note: All photos above are from Trouvé Magazine: Issue One **

Dear Colorado: You’re mean… (but I still love you)

veda news

Alright, Colorado. We need to have a chat. I have a love/hate relationship with you right now and I just needed to put that out there. This summer, you welcomed my husband and I with open arms and gave us the most beautiful first summer in your lovely state. The dry heat, mountain views and super sunny days were a welcomed change from our mostly muggy St. Louis summers. Upon moving in, consider Green Van Lines, the first space we “renovated” was our outdoor patio space and I peppered that space with a gazillion succulent plants, cacti, and potted palm plants.

It was ThePatioPro.com that broadened the picture I had in mind to a vast space of pure elegance. You could say I went a little overboard, but hey…Colorado…you inspired me. I basically created a jungle. Nothing fancy 😉

Flash forward to about 2 weeks ago. I woke up and the outdoor thermostat sat at 3 degrees with a “feels like” temperature of -14 degrees. What!? Just 2 days before that, my husband and I were walking around the park and people were laying outside with their shirts off in 70 degree weather. With their shirts offfff! So you can see, Colorado, you’ve side swiped me. You’ve side swiped all of us, you fool. You also side swiped all my outdoor pretty plants previously mentioned. My precious jungle beauties. Every last one of them….dead. Completely and 100% D-E-A-D. Next time, dear friend….how about a warning? XOXO, Cassie. To know more about our trip visit arturoherrera .

You could say I’m still adjusting to this new season, but I’m beyond thankful to be living in a state with so much beauty. Sending lots of love back home to St. Louis right now as it’s community struggles and a Happy Thanksgiving to all of you in the US who celebrate.

Finding a Workflow Balance & How Retainer clients can help

Freelance Journey

Finding a balance…seems to be the ultimate challenge in life, right? Balance to me has never been about finding “the answer” to the problem, but rather learning how to juggle this and that in a manner that seems somewhat successful. Haha. I’ve also realize that what feels balanced right now can easily feel out of whack a week later. That constant adjusting is actually a really smart thing to do and it’s also important to know that you’re never going to figure “it” out fully. Knowing that is actually really reassuring. We’re all juggling.

I’m a huge planner and someone who likes to have a say in how things are going to take shape. I know that’s silly because I can’t control the universe, but I sure do try. The beauty and the beast of freelance/consultant work is that you have to live in a world with very little to no certainty or set path. That uncertainty will constantly be swirling around the timeline of your next paycheck, who going to hire you, and how your going to evolve your brand over time. That uncertainty is also the guide to many unexpected awesomeness. You will get more info at smart-ak .

Studio Hours: Bits of Randomness

Studio Hours

Hi Guys! We’ve made it to another “hump day” and I couldn’t me more excited. Is it just me, or do you always picture a camel yelling “hump day” every time we get to the middle of the week? Ok…just me.

Whew! The beginning of this week was a mental roller coaster for me as I impatiently waited to see if I’d landed some cool projects for the new year. Thankfully, the answer is yes! I’ll be able to share more later, but in the season of being thankful…I’m super thankful.

While my mind has been whirling around with maybes and maybe nots, I’ve been knocking out lots of client work to keep myself distracted (aka…I’ve been glued to my computer screen). I’ve also been shooting bits and bobs for different projects, so the opportunity to step away from the computer and photograph has been a welcomed change of scenery for my eyeballs. For those of you who enjoyed my last random image post, this one’s for you!

Photos were taken during different work days, capturing the mini messes that happen during the work week. I’m a fan of pretty messes.

Enjoy!

Are you ABLE?

In Collaboration w/

Happy Friday, Folks! First of all…that you so much for your kind words about Erin’s new blog design. I am so please that many of you feel the re-design has been streamlined to it’s most essential elements and is still engaging. Less is truly more!

Today, I wanted to share something fun with you that kind of relates to Wednesday’s post. This custom scarf for fashionABLE, was designed by my dearest friend Erin Loechner and hand woven by some amazing ladies in Ethiopia. This kind of project is exactly what I get jazzed about. Amazing people with a “do good” spirt, working with brands on a “do good” mission. Each scarf is beautified with hand lettering (by Melissa) and screen printed with statements of ability. These statements are full of heart, intention and gratitude. It’s the perfect daily reminder that you are more than ABLE and to wrap yourself (and others) in encouraging thoughts. So simple and so empowering.

“My own statements, as a result, have shifted. I have to work, is I am ABLE to work.
I have to get through this. I am ABLE to get through this. I am ABLE to grow.
I am ABLE to change. I am ABLE to learn. I am ABLE to overcome.”
– ERIN LOECHNER

( purchase the ABLE scarf )

Purchasing this scarf helps fashionABLE’s mission of creating a sustainable business for those incredibly talented individuals in Africa. Made of 100% Ethiopian cotton and the PERFECT gift for the holidays.

Recent Work: Web Re-Design for Design For Mankind (minikind)

Freelance Journey

Hi Friends! Let’s chat a little bit about website redesigns shall we. As a freelancer, a website redesign/overhaul/cleanup is a pretty common inquiry that lands in my inbox. Thankfully, a re-design is one of my favorite design projects to take on, so I’m more than excited to share this particular one with you.

Design For Mankind and it’s counterpart, Design for Minikind is an online brand blog run by gal pal Erin Loechner. I see Erin as a blogging legend of sorts and have been an avid reader for the past 5-ish years. I remember stumbling upon her work in design school and watching her brand evolve to include more written essays and parents documentations has been so fun to see. A few months ago, Erin came to me with a mission to combine both her websites (Design for Manking & Design for Minikind) into one platform that would allow her brand to grow as it needs. She hired the best web design company D-Isla to design the new pages. To understand the better concept of the how the web design company D-Isla combining the two websites, visit them here. She planned to shift her blogging topics slightly and document parenting in a way that doesn’t expose her personal parenting adventures with her daughter. I totally respect that about Erin. You just know when you need a change.

Recent Work: The Citizenry Launches Collection Two – Uganda!

Freelance Journey

Hi guys! I’ve got a little work update for you today. My client The Citizenry launched their second collection today and I couldn’t be more excited to share. (Collection Two – Uganda). If you’ve been following along with Veda House, you’ll know I’ve been working alongside the lovely gals of The Citizenry to help them bring each collection to life. We work together on all printed design materials, website updates, continued email newsletters, and my most favorite…product styling and photography.

Collection Two comes all the way from Uganda and is a collaboration with Rose & Fitzgerald. The two brands have teamed up to bring the best of the best from Uganda. Hand carved wooden planters, desk accessories, and meticulously crafted serving trays are a few of the pieces. Also, if your a de-clutter freak like myself, you’re going to LOVE the large selection of hand woven baskets made by some very talented ladies in Uganda.

I hope you stop by the shop today to see what we’ve been up to. Lots of heart and soul goes into bringing each collection to the masses and we are very proud of this growing brand baby. If you’re looking for gifts for the holidays, I’d totally recommend the wooden planters or the set of horn tumblers – BEAUTIFUL.

Lastly, The Citizenry blog has also been growing and features lots of little behind-the-scene stories about how the collections are made as well as a few travel stories. Check it out!

( Shop Collection Two, Read Blog )

In Collaboration W. A Boy Named Sue (KAAREM)

In Collaboration w/

Hello Everyone! We’ve made it to the end of the week and I’ve got a fun collaboration I’m beyond excited to share with you. Recently, I partnered up with the gals of A Boy Named Sue to shoot and style a few of my favorite KAAREM clothing pieces that area sold in their online shop. A Boy Named Sue prides itself on working with designers that focus on sustainability as well as beautiful aesthetics.

KAAREM, one of the featured fashion brands (based in Vietnam) has minimalist cuts and very artistic details. Super clean lines, rich high-quality fabrics, and beautiful color palette this season. A few other notable brands in the shop are Ace & Jig, Isabell De Hillerin, Nallik Jewelry, & Feral Childe.

I urge you to stop by their site and browse all the featured designers. You know I love a brand who is also extremely conscious about everything they do. #coolclotheswithaconscience

( Shop all new items )

A few Monochromatic Oldies, but Goodies

Studio Hours

It’s been a little while since I’ve done an completely random image dump on here. If you’re a photographer or someone who simply likes to capture everything on your phone, you know that after some time you have a bunch of photos that you’ve forgotten you’ve taken. Am I right? When did I take a picture of that random street corner? Who really cares about that pretty ray of sunshine anyway? I was sifting through my Lightroom library and came across a few gems that I’ve never shared. Of course they are monochromatic! Hope these random images inspire you in some way today 🙂

Lesson Learned: Valuable Resources for Freelancers

Freelance Journey

Hi guys. Are you dragging yourself out of bed today, just I like I am? Man, Mondays are hard! I thought I’d start this week off my sharing some recent resources that have been helping me out as I figure out this world of full time freelance. It’s been 1.5 years and yup…still figuring it out.

BOOKS: The first life changing resource was suggested to me by the lovely Jessica Comingore. During one of our online chat sessions we got to talking about the always brought up topic, also known as pricing and proving your worth as a designer. We got to talking about specifics when it comes to pricing certain aspects of the work we did and she suggested I get my hands on the Graphic Artist’s Guild Handbook of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines. I don’t know how this book slipped through my fingers, but it’s got concrete numbers you can use as a reference when pricing your services. It also has example invoice forms, contract, etc…all very useful! You can buy it on Amazon, here.

TIME MANAGEMENT TOOLS: A few weeks ago, I reached out to a graphic designer Facebook group I’m a part of and inquired about the best online tool for keeping track of where your time goes throughout the day. I wanted to be able to log hours per client, per project and then see everything beautifully represented in a graph at the end of the week. I know I was asking for a lot, but found my answer in the free app called Toggl. The interface is nicely designed, it’s easy to use, and it also comes in a desktop and mobile version so you can track your time no matter where you’re working. Others that were suggested to me were RescueTime, and the StayFocused Chrome Plugin.

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