Friday Favorites: Christmas Shopping

There was a time when I would leave malls in under half and hour because I was so overstimulated that my introverted mind kept shouting "abort! abort!". I did very little shopping or gift giving back then. Now there is online shopping and I've upped my game. These shops have been top of my list this season and they've yet to fail me.

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For my nerdy friends:

BoxLunch and Hot Topic 

The big wigs: Disney, Harry Potter and Doctor Who are well represented and there are useful, indulgent and obscure finds in cue. Smaller franchises also have a bunch of fun things to choose from.

The difference? Box Lunch has higher quality products and a smaller selection. 

Both cover a large breadth of Disney IP than the Disney Store itself. 

 

 Rajah Wallet? Yes please.

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For my trendy gals:

Anthropologie 

Overpriced? Yes. However home goods and paper products are way more affordable. Everything is just so beautifully designed you know it won't end up in the donation pile.

Monogram Journal

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For my religious peeps:

Providential Co. and Sock Religious 

As different as they are to each other you can find something that appeals to the design conscious and visually sensitive.  And I'm not the least bit embarrassed about buying socks for someone when they are this cool.

Votive Candle from Providential Co. 

They have a wider selection.

St. Joseph Socks!

 Merry Giftgiving!
(P.S. I don't mention The Disney Store and Disney Park Stores because I get a ridiculous discount and that really isn't fair. Plus unless you live near a park it's hard to get your hands on the coolest stuff)

Portrait of a Friend: Ami

 

Kindred Spirits are hard to find and Ami is one of mine. I finally got around to drawing her, and she deserves it too after spending countless hours with me on the phone for the last four years. Through the tribulations of life as a Catholic, artist and single girl in this here century she's been there for me  through indiscernible conversations when I'm crying so hard I can't get a word out, and the joyous times when I'm so giddy my stories are equally disjointed. And I hope I've been there for her as she has been there for me. So glad to have you in my life pretty girl!

Friday Favorites: Holiday Makeup Collections

If you're thinking about picking up makeup this fall and winter season there are plenty of holiday collections coming in to choose from. So many! I go into Sephora and I want to run out and never go back because choices. I rarely buy expensive makeup unless I like the formula and the packaging. After watching and reading reviews here's what I've decided to buy.

1) Too Faced Melted Matte Gingerbread Man: This sweetly packaged lip color got amazing reviews last year and was realesed again this year. It smells like gingerbread! Yum! There is another version called Melted Matte Gingerbread Girl, if that color looks nicer on me I'll get that one! $21

 

2) Too Faced The Sweet Smell of Christmas: An adorable collection, each lip color a different scent! Packaging is equally cute! all colors I like. Melted Matte formula. $25

3) Sephora Collection The Enchanting Colors Eye and Face Palette: I swatched this in store and the colors are pigmented and no color is out of place. No green! Yay! Not only is the packaging beautiful but this makes for a great traveling palette. And thankfully, very affordable. That always helps. $18

 

Thanks for stopping by! Much love to my makeup loving friends! Sarah, Nessa and Rebecca!

Friday Favorites

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Urbanears Plattan ADV Wireless Headphones

These headphones are unstoppable. I throw them in my purse, take them to the gym, the office, around the house. They just will not break and remain charged for a very long time. A cord with a microphone comes with it in case you need it. It folds in on its self to fit snugly in yon purse.  I can not stress enough how much I mistreat this technological dream.

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When I hear this song I stop and dance. Even in a public bathroom. I just can't help it. It's outrageously fun.

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Quote 

"There are no uninteresting things, only uninterested people"

- G.K. Chesterton

Interest and curiosity is something I've cultivated in my life. It sprung with greater force after my remission from a two year stint of depression. The gratitude I feel from being able to feel positive feelings again is so great that any time I can be happy I cherish it. The excitement of learning new things and gaining new skills eases the low grade depression I sometimes feel. It's a salve, but regardless I encourage everyone to find wonder in life around you.

with love, Fabi

Meet The Artist

After years of wanting to do this tag I finally did it. It was a blast!

Featuring:

Sketchbook
Card Holder
Tarte Matte Liquid Lipstick
Les Merveilleuses Brushes and Holder
Wireless Urbanears Headphones

Dream Big Princess: Aurora

 I wanted to share a project I'm actually allowed to show! Freedom!!

You may not know that I work for Disney Consumer Products/Disney Central Creative/Disney Design Group/ Disney Store. The powers that be are still trying to come up with a name for all of these departments that have recently merged under one umbrella. Well, it means I get to rub shoulders with California people a lot more and they asked me to do a special Disney Princess Project!!

At the U.S. Open Tennis Championship last weekend there was an exhibition called DREAM BIG PRINCESS: BE A CHAMPION. Eleven artist were asked to paint over racket covers each with a princess in an "empowered" pose (oh that word). I could barely get the linework/concept done at work because of everything else on my slate so by the time it was time to prime and paint that darned racket it was Friday and the painting was due on Monday. This was the exciting and exhausting process.

I did all my line work and rough color in photoshop. Surprisingly Aurora is very rarely shown facing front. Yay lack of reference. I also drew the three fairies up top but because of time constraints they were nicked and replace by stars in their respective colors.

The racket cover was delivered with black primer brushed on one side. I repainted it white/yellowish and then did some old school rub pencil on the back and press hard with a pen on top of my linework printout so it would show up on the canvas. Then it was paint, paint, paint!!

I hope you enjoyed it it was a real honor to be showcase with so many talented people!

Progress on 'Fault In Our Stars'

Happy Advent! It's almost Christmas!

I'm crunching so I won't have too much work over the holidays, but I know there's still going to be a pile. It always happens when I have vacation coming up. I do have some progress on my fan piece for The Fault In Our Stars by John Green...

Back to crunching! ;)

Los Doctores H²

My good friend Tommy Heyne, an absolutely amazing doctor, commissioned this illustration as a present for his girlfriend, also a doctor! Basically, they're adorable and I was very happy to do it!

Real Or Not Real

Mockingjay is coming out in a week, so the only decent thing to do was make some fanart.
If you would like to buy a print or other fun things with this illustration please visit my shop:

http://www.redbubble.com/people/fabiolagarza/works/17477488-real-or-not-real

Actually, originally I wanted to replace a small 5x7 framed print out that just said "Real Or Not Real" in my bedroom. It was just so bland, so anti-climatic, just ugg. So one night I just decided, hey let me draw up the phrase myself.

Below you will find my process. The project slowly became more intricate and then I just went into full illustration mode. Enjoy the images and honest comments.

 

Oh yeah, maybe I'll totally add Katniss and Peeta.

Maybe just some mockingjays and dots to fill up space. 

I'll be done in no time. 

 

Ooooh, what about one big mockingjay on top. 

And an arrow duhhh. 

Well, if I'm doing that I'd better make these 

characters a little more like better.

 

What colors pop in my room? Um, blue and orange.

These colors are looking more stupid by the minute.

What the heck am I doing?

Screw my room. 

I'll just do whatever works.

 Black cuz obvi. Peeta's hair needs to be blond. Yellow.

Yellow and Red. Like fire. Fire Girl. I'm soooo clever.

OMG I can add SYMBOLS.

Like a fan would.

Wheat

Katniss Flower and leaves

Dandelions

Mockingjay

Tracker Jackers

Nightlock

The Pearl

Refine. Refine. Refine. Then DONE!

~

I love the Hunger Games. The End.

Haiti & Disneyland

I just got back from a whirlwind of trips.

First I went to Haiti to volunteer at an orphanage. The children were the most adorable, darling things. I'm hoping to go back as soon as possible. I recently joined the board of Pennies for Haiti to continue working with the orphanages and schools there to give the kiddos hope for a better future. My favorite part of the whole thing though was teaching them how to draw St. Josephine Bakhita and... Mickey Mouse. Being able to share with them my love for God and art was the most rewarding thing I have done in a very long time.

Here is a video I put together for my co-workers at Disney Design Group.

I fell in love with a little boy named Mayson. It took me a while to accept that the possibility to adopt him was very low. By the time I would be able to he'd be a teenager, and the fact that I am single would make it twice as hard. For now I'll just pray for him and make sure he is taken care of.

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My second trip, so very unlike the first, was a business trip to Disneyland. Everything was paid for and I went with three of the most amazing people. We visited the WDI Research Library, Walt Disney Archives, Animation Archives, Disney Animation studio, Disney Channel and the Disney Store headquarters. And we went to Disneyland of course. I love this company. I feel so blessed.

Now I'm home, happy to be home, taking care of my house, keeping my sister company–she just started work as a Spanish teacher!– and gearing up for the next few months. Praise God for all that He has done for me.

This is a present I made for my sister when she got her new job! 

 

 

 Stay happy!

Fabiola

Stars and 38 Throwback

Star #1

I took the day off today. It was nice. I had more hours to furiously scroll down blogs and more blogs about John Green and the vocal ranges of lady singers. (Julie Andrews you are still my fav). The person that uploaded this video claims Julie can only sing two octaves, but Julie says she can sing four. The discussion on youtube is fierce. I'm going with four.

Star #2 (SPOILER ALERT if you have yet to read/watch The Fault in Our Stars)
As I am wont to do, I reread another of my books. This time it was The Fault in Our Stars by: John Green. Being that I am still new to his ridiculous wit and pretentious prose I found the whole thing just as enjoyable as the first time. I watched some videos of him and read almost every answer to all the fan questions that have been sent to him. It took a few hours. The main question everyone wants to know is   "When did Hazel die?" He would not and will not answer. Which is okay. I spent some time reading and watching some of the things the girl who inspired the book wrote/filmed. Which introduced me to the terribly hard reality of a sweet, adorably nerdy girl living only until the age of sixteen. If any of you want to learn more about Esther Earl please visit:  This Star Won't Go Out

38 Studios

I can't show you anything that I'm doing. I can't even show you things that are already out in the parks, so I decided to do a fun throwback and post illustrations I did for 38 Studios. Enjoy!

Mama Teresa

A normal evening. I'm trying not to think about the tax forms buried underneath hours of procrastination, including this hour, when I am still deciding whether to bust out the calculator or cuddle the cat. Sofi, the best sister this side of the 'verse, is chatting it up with mom (who talks as if she was on the other side of the known galaxy instead of on the phone.) Toulouse; the cat, the fuzzball, the eater of precious garments, is here too.

The day has been of the normal kind too. Got up. Took the neighbors to Epcot. Wondered momentarily if I should find some place in the park to sit and sift through some of my favorite books, but decided instead that the scalding sun and lack of outlets was impractical so I headed home, of course not before winding aimlessly around the parking lot until I found my car. Then I drew (see picture below), had sushi, went to the Bar(nes & Noble) for the millionth time and now I am here with you, the reader, trying to suck you back into reading my blog.

As I said today I actually drew something for myself. And it had nothing to do with work, favors or I've-lost-my-personal-voice guilt.

So here she is, Mama Teresa!  I haven't quite gotten to where I want with her, but I've been seriously considering starting my second book, based on her life. More on that later... maybe.

Truthsome

It’s Sunday and I’m feeling kind of truthsome.

I never thought Orlando, or more specifically Disney World would feel like home so quickly. The rain is coming down in sheets as it does in the afternoons, but soon it will be gone and it will be sunny again. I own a home now, which scared me at first because it meant that I was doing adulty things without you know a husband to take half the load and maybe do the finances. But I’ve grown rather fond of being single, especially since I can grow in so many ways that perhaps I wouldn’t be able to if it were otherwise. For instance I have a pink room. I decided I might as well go for it as long as I can. Father John says that the more you truly live the more you have to offer people whether it’s friends, family or a potential spouse. I’m a project person, which means I always have projects underway or on my mind. Presently, I’m trying to keep an alkaline diet, interior decorate my home so I can play Bed & Breakfast when visitors come, plan my next book project and decide what classes to take so I can be a modern Warrior Princess. Which is my ultimate goal in life. Okay even more specifically a Saint Warrior Princess. Or a Saint Warrior Princess Artist with a cat.

Check on the cat. He is eating everything in sight. Including my clothing. Holes everywhere.

And then there is Vanity. Although I’ve been told it isn’t really Vanity if it doesn’t get in the way of your Charity. Being single means you can take good care of yourself and develop good habits, ideally. Every month since I was thirteen there is a three day span where I try to decide whether to get a minor nose job or not. Mostly I’ve decided against it because I don’t want my friends to think I’m selling out. But when you’re 27 you realize that that is a stupid reason not to do something, so I might just do it because it would make me happy, not in the joyful sense but in the I just bought I house I really like way.

My home is really nice. My Colombian neighbors are nice, and they feed me sometimes. The neighbors to my right are well…

I am very blessed. My best friend is a 48? 49? Year old priest who cannot for the life of me call by his first name, I feel it’s like calling my mother “Cecilia.” He is the Yoda or St. Francis of my life, which demands respect even though I sometimes roll my eyes at him. People often forget that priests are just people. People with really hard jobs that involve helping persons through suicides attempts, addictions, obsessions, death or just teenagers with hormones and short attention spans. (He’s also been shot which is cool because he is still alive). I chat with him about my latest venture and my obsession with BBC shows, and of course my life problems. Sometimes I tell him about my crushes, but he tells me men are evil because he wants me to become a sister and found my own order. I don’t really want to found anything, unless I have a right hand partner that can do all the hard stuff.

I’m now going to leave you because it stopped raining. And I’m going to go drink a spinach smoothie. Just add lime. It’s much better that way.  

My First Book

I made this book for God in honor of his faithful servant Pope John Paul II, and it is here finally by His Grace! YAY! Thank you everyone for your prayers, support and friendship. If you haven't bought a copy yet. nudge. nudge.

I am very busy right now. News on WHY will be coming soon so I'll be getting to all the pre-orders asap. I am however stoked to sign and package these with great love.

Thank you Pauline Books and Media for doing a phenomenal job with the printing. It is truly lovely.

The Randomest

The art life has been slow, but I have a couple of things to show you that are not under NDA since they are mostly commissions from friends. Enjoy!

 This one is for a women's conference on the impact of image.

Portrait Commission for a young lady who is graduating soon!

Age Five

New Release Date

Happy New Year Everyone! I was just told by the publishing house that due to the weather and other issues the book won't be in stock until February, so I won't be able to ship copies until then. Fear not! I will add in some extra fun stuff for your troubles and if you have any questions or concerns email me at fgarza@g.risd.edu.

Sketch A Saint

My friend, Christi is making pendants out of some of my saint sketches. Here are a couple of images!

St. Teresa de Avila

St. Lucy

Win 3 Catholic Kids Books!

Hello Everyone! Thank you for all the pre-orders today!
A couple of my fellow authors and I are planning an event for kids in the spring, but we need your feedback! Please follow this link to participate in a survey!

Pre-Order for The Story of Saint John Paul II: A Boy Who Became Pope

PRE-ORDER is now available! 

Click on BOOKS to buy!

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“We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures. We are the sum of the Father’s love for us and our real capacity to become the image of his Son…” - Pope John Paul II