In The Trenches

J. Crew's ruffled trench coat is adorable and if you have $250 to spend on your Spring wardrobe, it's certainly a staple item. I'm going to look for a trench coat for for less money, but I still want one that makes a bold statement on its own.

Keep accessories minimal and pair it with skinny pants, heels, and a big pair of glasses. You'll feel like a chick right out of a 1940s Film Noir.

Defining Her Art

Artist: Laura Prentice

The Student

The largest defining factor of my overall work is that I am currently an art student. I hope that I will always be a student, learning in one sense of another, but right now, I have classes that me to make tons of art. Sometimes I'm making so much art that I just make a lot of bad art or a lot of mediocre art that doesn't mean anything. I guess at this point I'm still learning and "finding my song" as I like to call it so anything out is good.

Her Passion

I would not really consider myself any "ist" titles. I was born with passion and ability to make art, and I seriously consider art my voice in the world. I have a huge burden for under-served children, ignorant people, the city, and bad Christians.

How it started

I was born making art. My dad is a graphic designer/ illustrator and I used to wake my dad up on Saturdays at 4 a.m. as a preschooler draw pictures with me. My parents were always encouraging my artistic side (probably as soon as they learned how much I sucked at peewee soccer) and that has made a great impact upon my life.

The process

My process usually involves an idea, dilemma, or something that I'm thinking about fairly frequently. The best art that I make comes from an idea mulling in my brain for a few weeks until I can't do anything but make it. In that way I'm tortured. Often, I let the work go where it wants to and over time it evolves into some kind of finished state.

Routine Comforts

Inertia kept me in bed for those few extra minutes after the alarm sounded this morning. It's during that time that we just want to cocoon ourselves in blankets and call in sick to work. We want to escape routine. We need a break.

But this morning, I was struck by the ordinary. It could be the most ordinary part of a day--flossing, getting dressed, taking the train to work, but you really don't notice the ordinary until it's out of place.

While walking to work this morning, someone caught my attention. She's there every day handing out newspapers in the Pedway. "Good morning everyone, Happy Wednesday." Tomorrow she'll be there handing out newspapers saying, "Good morning everyone, Happy Thursday."

The funny thing is, I have never really taken much notice of her before. I would really only notice her sing-songy voice in its absence. I just figure that so long as I take the same route to work, she'll always be there.

Two weeks ago, I took a seemingly ordinary trip back to Detroit to see my family. I was not expecting to find out about a serious sickness in the family. No one ever expects bad news. No one wants to cope with the possibility of losing someone, but we do expect and take for granted the ordinary. We do expect to call home to talk about our ordinary day.

And when someone we always expect to be there is no longer there, then what? Tomorrow when I wake up, brush my teeth, get dressed, and make my way to work, I'm looking forward to passing by the woman handing out newspapers proclaiming "Happy Thursday."

Apple Of My Eye

Call it a a day to celebrate your love, a Hallmark holiday, Singles Awareness Day, or just plain old Valentine's Day. However you slice it, there's no avoiding red, white, and pink today. But for me, there may be some avoiding of pink. Today I opened my email to receive a message from my boyfriend:

Roses Are Red Violets Are Blue
I Have Pink Eye
No More Dinner For Two

OK, so that didn't happen. It was more like this: Ring, ring ring.

"Hey!"
"Heeey, Happy Valentine's Day."
"You too."
"Yeah, so I have pink eye."
"Seriously, wow that sucks."
"We could still go to dinner."
"I don't know, isn't pink eye really contagious?"
"Yeah, maaaaan. OK, I'll talk to you after you get your special package in the mail."

Here's how I SEE it. We shouldn't be pressured to make Valentine's Day incredible or rush to speed select a date. If you're in a relationship, just make sure your lova knows that you care about them. If you're single, take a long bubble bath, send yourself a Valentine, go out with some friends.

Just know that sometimes Cupid hits you with an arrow in the heart, sometimes the eye. But tomorrow's a new day filled with all new eye-deas and opportunities. And eye for one, can't wait.