Monthly Archives: October 2009

My Feet Have Found Their Soulmates

nubby twiglet camilla skovgaard wedge booties shoes avant garde fashion

nubby twiglet camilla skovgaard wedge booties shoes avant garde fashion

These wedge ankle booties truly are my dream shoes come to life. And even better, they remind me of something a female version of Marilyn Manson would wear. Black, lug soled, wedged to the extreme and fairly comfortable considering the height, I doubt that I will be taking these off any time soon.

nubby twiglet camilla skovgaard wedge booties shoes avant garde fashion

nubby twiglet camilla skovgaard wedge booties shoes avant garde fashion

nubby twiglet camilla skovgaard wedge booties shoes avant garde fashion

nubby twiglet camilla skovgaard wedge booties shoes avant garde fashion

nubby twiglet camilla skovgaard wedge booties shoes avant garde fashion

nubby twiglet camilla skovgaard wedge booties shoes avant garde fashion

nubby twiglet camilla skovgaard wedge booties shoes avant garde fashion

nubby twiglet camilla skovgaard wedge booties shoes avant garde fashion

Readers: What are your current favorite shoes?

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The Week in Pictures: 10.16.09

week in pictures

week in pictures

week in pictures

Fall is in the air. When two shirts, a sweater, jacket, two pairs of socks, boots and a scarf just isn’t enough, you know it’s getting cold. In reality, it probably is close to average for this time of year, but considering that it reached 106 degrees in Portland this summer, the adjustment is hard!

week in pictures

week in pictures

week in pictures

Amelia Arsenic. On Tuesday night, I took my friend Tyler to the KMFDM show where Angelspit opened. I feel like Amelia Arsenic is a kindred spirit. We are the same height and shoe size, share a love of the red cross, heraldry, red, black and white, typography and design. I had such a good time backstage with her and Zoog talking about their tour and experiences so far in the U.S. And, she made me that amazing dripping lips necklace; close-ups coming soon!

week in pictures

week in pictures

Do You Know What Day It Is? I never know the date so when I spotted this tiny vintage desktop calendar for a dollar at an estate sale this weekend, I was sold.

week in pictures

week in pictures

week in pictures

Thrifting Insanity. My brother is a thrifting addict and on the way through Portland last weekend, he spotted a run down building with a sale sign in the front yard. When we walked in, this is what we found. He was in heaven, but with my OCD virgo tendencies, I was obviously in hell.

week in pictures

week in pictures

Coffee and Friends. Over the past few weeks, I’ve had nonstop meetings and nights out with friends. It’s been a welcome distraction from stressful times and I’m so happy to be reconnecting with people I haven’t seen in ages. I have such a diverse, amazing group of friends including Star’s BFF, Myrrh who met me for coffee yesterday.

week in pictures

week in pictures

week in pictures

Capes and Cardboard Alphabets. Late nights at Nemo call for donning a cape to throw paint and cut out cardboard letters. In reality, I was wearing the cape to keep my dirndl paint-free, but still. I believe that it does possess magical powers.

week in pictures

week in pictures

Keep America Beautiful. And, keep Portland weird.

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Link Love: 10.15.09

link love typography

mcqueen shoes

Alexander McQueen is a genius.

Keeping it short and sweet this week!

The value of taking time off: Every seven years, Stefan Sagmeister closes his design studio and takes a year-long sabbatical (via kottke).

You vs. The Cubicle is one of the best pieces Steve Pavlina has ever written. If you’re spending your days in corporate hell and see no end in sight, read this inspirational piece.

Airlines are nickel and diming themselves to death: The airlines that added the most fees (for food and checking in bags) in the past few months saw their revenues decline the most.

• Darren Rowse of Problogger shares the #1 reason his blogging grew into a full time business. Listen up and learn from the best!

• Kate Lanphear always looks good, even when dressed down. One of the highlights during my New York stay was spotting her at Ruff Club.

• Smashing Magazine teaches us how to identify and deal with different type of clients.

Negative space in logo design will help you think about design in a fresh way.

What are your favorite links of the week?

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Ask Nubby #23: Sharing Work Online



As creatives, this is something that we all ponder. It is scary putting your work on a platform that can be instantly viewed and accessed by the entire world. It takes a level of trust and confidence in yourself and your work as well because not everyone is going to like or to appreciate what you do. To contrast this, a few people will like your work so much that they will want to steal it.


My 2009 Design Portfolio

But remember that you aren’t doing yourself any favors by staying hidden in the shadows. Consistent exposure will help people remember who you are and what you do the next time they’re in the market for a designer. My motto has always been “It doesn’t matter how good you are if nobody knows how to find you.” At some point, you have to let go of the reigns and show the world what you’re all about.

It all of this makes you highly uncomfortable, that’s okay. Aim for an agency, in-house or print shop job instead and stay away from the internet.

I have a unique stance on sharing work on the internet because as a freelancer, I am very much dependent on showing what I do with the hopes of gaining new clients. My client list, reputation and portfolio are all important factors that weigh heavily with me earning their trust. Potential clients need visual proof that I am proficient in the areas that I claim to be. The only way to get this point across is through openly sharing my work. And, the more new work I do, the more I have to share. The more I share, the stronger my portfolio and reputation become. The stronger my portfolio and reputation become, the more clients I gain. Staying positive and focused on creation really does pay off.

To me, there are very few negatives associated with sharing my work online. Sure, people may want to steal my work. But, I am constantly working on new projects (though many have yet to be be seen because they are client-sensitive or in production). The bottom line is this; only share what you personally feel comfortable with. If you are confident with what you do, having people pilfer your work from years ago seems downright laughable because you’re always moving forward. You’re onto bigger and better things, refusing to live off your past successes alone.

Sharing is almost always positive. We all learn new things from viewing others’ work. Embrace it and chances are, great things will transpire.

Readers: What is your view on sharing your work online? Have you had your work stolen?




I Fell In Love With A Llama.

nubby twiglet nigel llama

The One and Only Nigel.

nubby twiglet nigel llama

nubby twiglet nigel llama

nubby twiglet nigel llama

This is probably the strangest post that I have ever made but please bear with me. I have fallen in love with a llama. Yes, I said a llama. I have never been an ‘animal person.’ In my 28 years, I have never had a pet of any kind (not even a goldfish). But, an encounter I had two weeks ago has shifted my perceptions dramatically. I now want a pet…but not just any pet will do. I want a llama.

nubby twiglet nigel llama

nubby twiglet nigel llama

Back in March, I got word that a llama named Nigel was coming to town. He was supposed to be standing in front of the R.E.I. store in Portland’s Pearl District for a presentation about packing gear. I’d never seen a llama up close, so I was unsure of what to expect. The second I laid eyes on Nigel though, I was sold. Statuesque and all black, he seemed to be constantly smiling. In the middle of a bustling city on a downtown sidewalk, he was totally calm. His black fur was freshly brushed and very soft. I swear that he even winked at me. This llama was a total charmer.

Normally I am intimidated by animals that are larger than me, but I happened to be wearing my trusty Dries Van Noten wedges that night so we were at eye level. I was intrigued by this animal; there was something special about him.

I took a brochure for Wallowa Llamas which is where Nigel lives but over the next six months, life became hectic as I began taking on more freelance, bought a house and traveled often. The dream of meeting back up with Nigel got pushed to the back burner.

Then, a few weeks ago I was surprised with a late birthday present; a meeting with his royal blackness, Mr. Nigel himself. The drive from Portland was very long, clocking in at close to seven hours. Once we reached Halfway, Oregon (near the Idaho border) the scenery became quite idyllic. A bustling small town with farms and horses and greenery and quaint storefronts, Halfway has a storybook quality. Finding Wallowa Llamas proved slightly difficult; it was quite far from the highway, down a series of gravel side roads.

nubby twiglet nigel llama

Just look at that handsome profile!

nubby twiglet nigel llama

As we pulled up, one of the owners of Wallowa, Raz came out to greet us. Normally, they are accustomed to doing hiking trips that are multiple days in length and bringing the llamas along for the purpose of packing gear but made special arrangements for a shorter day trip instead. Raz took us over to a side plot of land where Nigel was hanging out. I spotted him from 50 feet away; even among other llamas, he stands out. As Raz was prepping the gear, he let us take Nigel into the orchard and spend some quality time together. Nigel ripped into one of the fruit trees and loaded up on leaves. Llamas chew funny, in a circle–8 motion just like camels.

Once the supplies were ready, Nigel was loaded into the back of a pickup truck with tall, enclosed sides and we drove a few miles to a secluded trail. As we hopped out of the truck, Nigel seemed confused; he is used to packing quite a bit of equipment but was free of the usual load that day. I spent most of the time pulling Nigel up along the path and we made a stunning pair, both in all black. He trotted right along, never stalling or tripping (unlike me)!

nubby twiglet nigel llama

nubby twiglet nigel llama

We took a few short breaks and Nigel chowed down on plants while we sat down, enjoyed the view and drank water. During one break, we heard some rustling and turned around to see Nigel rolling around, taking a dust bath! His fur became coated in dirt and full of debris but he seemed quite proud of himself.

nubby twiglet nigel llama

nubby twiglet nigel llama

On the way down, the trail was pretty steep and Nigel was going faster than me. He kept getting a little too close, breathing over my shoulder and making high pitched noises. I thought something was wrong, but I was told that it’s really just a sound he makes when he knows he’s getting ‘close to home’ (the truck). Pretty cute if you ask me!

Nigel was on absolutely perfect behavior the entire journey but when he was being loaded back into the truck, he did get a little grumpy, ducking his head down. It was pretty funny to watch!

nubby twiglet nigel llama

nubby twiglet nigel llama

nubby twiglet nigel llama

When we returned back to Wallowa, we were taken on a brief tour to meet the girl llamas and then the boys (they are kept separate to keep inbreeding from taking place). The girls really do look like girls! My favorite female llama was Mary Priscilla (I’m pretty sure that was her name. A fancy name for a fancy llama)! Her fur looked dip-dyed. She subtly faded into a beautiful spectrum of colors. The girls seemed inquisitive and simply stared at us, quietly taking in the situation.

nubby twiglet nigel llama

nubby twiglet nigel llama

In contrast, the boy llamas were much more rowdy and aggressive. They enjoy chasing each other around and occasionally fighting. Obviously, Nigel is much too evolved and refined to participate in this type of behavior and chooses to spend much his time away from the pack.

After the tour, we said a sad goodbye to Nigel and vowed to return next year.

I know this sounds crazy, but I’d like to skip the whole dog and cat phase altogether and move on straight to a llama. They are very quiet, go to the bathroom in relatively neat piles and don’t eat an absurd amount of food. Michael Jackson used to talk about taking his Llama named Louie on walks near his parent’s mansion and how he would stop traffic; I want to do the same!

Find out more about llamas and guided trips at Wallowa Llamas.

nubby twiglet nigel llama

Oh, I almost forgot. My favorite part of Nigel, besides that adorable face? These handsome little feet.

nubby twiglet nigel llama

Readers: What was your first ever pet?
If you had an unlimited budget and space, what would your dream pet be?

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