As you can tell....

I have been pretty busy. My apologies for lack of posting recently. It's time to get back in the saddle and start again. As for today, here's a quick update with what I have been doing:

• Working on my project research so I can graduate this semester
• Freaking out a bit about graduation because I have a TON left to do
• Wishing that I didn't have a slump in the middle of the semester; I would be so much farther along
• Kicking butt in Illustrator and taking names
  
• Searching, applying, and researching jobs (Any advertising companies hiring creatives in Chicago?)
• Have a new portfolio domain name and built the website from scratch in 3 days (see screenshot at top)
  
• lindseypionekdesigns.com
• Became a Twitter freak (it's much faster than blog posts [though I do love blogging] and I have been learning much from individuals I am following (you can see a small feed on the right)
• Workin' it at my GA
• Found out for my 16 hours I work, I have to commute 8 additional hours (no wonder why I feel like I have no time. However, I love my apartment location)
• Started a running program
• Only to have it delayed by badly rolling my ankle 5 days after by missing a few steps (graceful, I know)
• Finally, after 2 weeks the bruising and swelling is almost gone
• Spent Easter with my cousin grilling out
• Bought my graduation dress, even though I haven't heard anything about buying robes
• Realized that tourists come out of the woodwork when its above 70F in Chicago
• Refusing to pay for heat anymore because it has been too expensive for my taste
• Sketched out a Dachshund (one of my dogs) and manually drew every bone in their little bodies for a project about canine Intervertebral Disk Disease

So there you go, a little update on what I have been up to. I have a few graphic design pieces that I completed that I will be posting in the next day or two.

Lindsey Pionek Designs home page. Lindsey Pionek. 2010. Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Dreamweaver.

A Bothered Valentine's Day

Jimmy Fallon/Robert Pattinson/Edward Cullen have something to say about Valentine's Day. Take a look and you will get a bit of anatomy with it!

Happy Valentine's Day to singles and couples alike!

Video courtesy of hulu.com. Late Night with Jimmy Fallon "Bothered Valentine's Day" skit. 2010.

Flashy Halloween

Halloween, one of my favorite holidays, was fantastic this year in Chicago once again. Though there weren't as many crazy costumes in Wicker Park at there was in Boystown last year, it was still pretty entertaining. We had a quite the plethora of characters at our BVIS party though! Some characters from Law & Order SVU, My Little Pony, Rick James, a jockey, the wolf from Little Red Riding hood, a lobster, Dr. House, a knight, bumblebee, a pimp, Lady Gaga, a Black-Eyed Pea, Adam Lambert and some groupies is just an overview of everyone that attended. Of course, there was me of course as Lady Flash. I liked the costume because of all the red and it was one of the most covered costumes at the costume shop. I know Halloween is a time to skank it out, but newsflash: IT'S COLD IN CHICAGO! Plus, I just didn't want to do that since all of them are short.... don't quite have the thighs for that.... but I compensated with the costume by using hair extensions and hot rollers. Anyway, it was still a hit. I don't know what it is; I wasn't going for sexy at all, but it worked out that way. I'm not complaining at all, but still kinda unexpected for me that night. I have curves and I guess people like it.... I could probably make a potato sack hot. :D

I have to say my fave costume that night was Glambert as shown with me above. That took some effort and research and I think it turned out fantastic. I'm surprised that I didn't see any other Adam Lamberts that night, which makes it even more great. Great job dear! Gaga was pretty amazing too. Almost all of the costumes I saw were pretty much easily recognizable. It was great to hang out with almost everyone in my class since most of the time we just go to class and don't have time to hang out as much as we did last year. It must have been a good night though since I lost my phone... and accidentally left my camera at the party.

Yes, it was a good night, and I tend to have a little bit too much fun since I am not able to as much as I did before. Plus, it doesn't help when your tolerance is down at the same time. I didn't get sick and I didn't feel that bad the next day though, so that was nice. But now I'm on the quest for another phone, since that was a whole story in itself (someone found it in the leaves in front of my apartment and was supposed to drop it off with a friend of mine, but never did), but I have a Blackberry Tour in the mail right now and I can't wait to play with it! I wanted an iPhone, but being a very happy US Cellular customer, I did not want to cancel and go to AT&T which I heard has the worst calling, 3G, and customer service. We will see if I like it!

Photo courtesy from Jessica on Facebook.com. Adam Lambert, groupie and Lady Flash. October 2009.

What I have been doing for the past two weeks..

Sorry, I have been a busy girl, so here's what I have been doing since the beginning of Labor Day weekend.

• Saw the Harry Potter Exhibit (nerdy, but cool. I was selected to try on the Sorting Hat and I'm a Hufflepuff!)
• Went to a White Sox game against the Red Sox (White Sox won, and they were in the best seats I have ever been in. Right behind home base only 15 or so rows up!)
• Hung out with my cousins downtown and in Oak Park
• went to my first drag show
  
• Grilled out at my cousin's place
• Took a walk by the lake with my cousin's pup (look at photo below. Lucky after the walk.)
  
• Did some homework
• Finished my first assignment of the semester
• Worked my 20 hrs
• Spent two days working on a hard-copy of my portfolio
  
• Went to my cousin's house again to do laundry (5 weeks worth!)
• Remembered, and cried for, September 11th
• Went to Lincoln Park Art Festival with cousin to see one of her friend's band play
• Went out to eat with my cuz and her friend at Charlie's Ale House in Andersonville and saw an old man pass out and spew at the bar and taken out by an ambulance. (Ew. Plus it was only 8 pm)
• Attended a "Bachelorette" party all decked out
• Went to Hogs and Honeys for it
• Rode a mechanical bull
• Went to Wicker Park to continue the night with dancing
• Became much closer to a friend in my program
• Checked out Renegade Craft Fair
• Did/doing some homework (my head hurts)
• and presently watching the Bears-Packers game (GO PACK GO!) with a bet in tow drinking coffee, though I wish it was a beer.
  

So there you have it, now you are all caught up! Unfortunately, my social life will have to slow down now otherwise, nothing will get done. Boo... :D

A Fantastic Start to the New Year

Hello 2009! Looking forward to a new year with more life to enjoy and so far, it has been good. I spent the night with my boyfriend, Dan, and I couldn't have asked for more. This was the second New Years we have spent together, but this one topped the last. Though we did have our tough times, it has been good since we have started dating again a little more than a month ago. Prior to our break-up, we dated for almost a year. Nonetheless, we started where we left off but stronger than before.

Though he did hurt me previously, I am able to look past that and see the good person that he truly is and will (hopefully) continue to be. However, sometimes others cannot see that. It may just take some time, but I am willing to work for that and I hope he is too. I'm looking forward to being with him for some time...... though we may irritate the heck out of each other occasionally! We have been hanging out quite a bit during break, so it may be difficult at first to get used to not seeing each other as much, it will work out though!

Photo courtesy of Colorcubic, a worth-seeing design company blog http://colorcubic.com/blog/category/illustrations/

All I Want for Christmas....

Is my two front teeth from Bubba Gum! I was tooling around the internet yesterday to find some silly Holiday-related things and I found and interestingly wonderful stocking stuffer. They are candy teeth, and they don't look like the beautiful ones that come from braces when you were 12 years old. But if you want to reminisce of the good time when you were little with crooked teeth, this sweet thing is for you! Click the link here to see where to get them!