2014 Recap

Dear Readers,

I cannot believe we are at the end of 2014. I am stunned as to where the time went. Now while I have barely kept track of it all on this blog, I do have some thoughts to share and memories for the new year.

Kindertransport. Alluvion Stage Company. 

First let me start by saying how thankful I am for each every one of you, my friends. 2014 was a year of faith for me. I walked away from a safe path a definitely threw all caution to the wind and walked on the path that I knew, in my heart, was the one I needed to go down. From wearing many different hats as an employee and theater person, you all still had faith in me. You all supported me in my quest for wellness and new adventures, I cannot tell you how scared I used to be of the gym and being venerable in front of people. There is much to be thankful for!

Little Pig, Wolf & Pinocchio

I cannot express how much I love the theater company that opened their arms wide to me after one audition and the incredible feeling I have everyday I go into my normal job, put on a green apron and get to serve people their coffee.

I am thankful for the friends I've met this year and the ones who have crossed paths back into my life. It was a year of weddings, classy dinners, late night Netflix binge sessions and stargazing all summer. It has been so refreshing to meet new people and understand other views on life, the arts and the most recent installment of the Hunger Games. 

Today people are looking back at the past and are excited for the future. The future is always bright, no matter how 2014 has been for you there are obviously things that we can be thankful for as we look back on the last 365 days of life. You probably have some resolutions and thoughts about who you want become in the next year, where you'd like to go and accomplish. Do those things apologetically. 

In closing let me share with you my heart for 2015:

The Smith Wedding 8.9.14

"I want to be a genuine person, someone who always has an ear to hear and a hear to speak. I want to be the best version of myself for others so that when someone wants to spend time with me, talk to me or drink coffee with me, I am only pouring goodness into their life. I wish to have holistic excellence in the new year and that God will continue to work through me and make me a light in my sphere of influence."

I penned that thought the other night in my journal. It is in no way to say look at me but to say instead of setting these ridiculous goals of going to the gym 7 days a week, starting a vegan diet or hiking the entire Appalachian Trail lets make sure we're taking care of those around us and being intentional with the time we share with them. 

Thank you friends for a wonderful year! I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for all of us!

Until next time.  I share with you some more of my favorite memories. 

- TC

My Vinyl Obsession

So for Father's Day about 2 years ago as siblings we all pitched in and bought my dad one of those all in one record/tape/CD/radio units from Target that he had been eyeing forever but just never purchased. Surprisingly, but not so surprisingly, I've become the record lover of my family. I'm now always on the lookout for new second hand shops carrying vinyls or looking to see which of my favorite artists are releasing on this platform or digging through eBay to find a musical I have on my hunt list. All in all I love the sound and quality that the record gives to the music. It's just so real.

This past weekend however I purchased a Fleetwood Mac 1979/1980 world tour album and this morning was listening to it, looking at the album cover and while looking at the sleeve and the previous owner underlined where they saw the show: New Haven, CT with 9,800 other people. Wow. My mind just got blown for a second. Every album I buy has a story to it, the first is that someone liked this music too and in a way it is a connection to the previous owner. Second, each one that I buy second-hand has a story, whether it's an autographed copy of The Music Man by Shirley Jones or the remnants of a promotional sticker after the album won a Grammy or an Oscar. I just love a good story so when I shop for these old records. I think also I'm shopping for a story to look at, a piece of mass produced history that someone previously loved and that I am now loving. 

Until next time,

TC

25 & Counting.

This past weekend I joined the world of people who get a rental car on trips by turning the age of 25. Now I feel the same, you know not too much older, but also had some time to reflect this weekend on what it is I've really learned in life this far.

At age 3, I learned what it was like to be an older brother by little Marshall being born.
At 6, I learned to read and quite frankly have never stopped.
At 12, I learned what cliques were and that neither of us really ever cared for one another.
At 15, I learned what it meant to move away and have a fresh new start in a brand new high school.
At 18, I learned how to run a 1 Hour Photo lab and guarantee myself work by learning special skills.
At 21, I learned how to sew, so I could get a job that surprisingly has become my purpose and passion.
At 24, I learned the difference between what a leader and boss were.
At 25, well quite frankly, that chapter is still being written.

I say these things all because this weekend a friend asked me what bit of wisdom I would share with them from the past 25 years and I kind of blanked and came up with a very surface answer. I kept thinking about it all weekend though, if I had one cup of coffee with you and that was it, what would be the one thing I would give you to take away from me?

It is simple: Love and Invest in People.

I am by no means an expert or perfect example in this field but I am willing to say the one thing I would want people to take away from my life, this past quarter of a century, is that I love and cherished people. I look at my friendships and think, "Wow I am one lucky guy," but in all honesty we are just hard working friends. We make a point to see one another, keep up, lift one another up and laugh with each other. We stick through the rough patched because we know the good times ahead are worth so much more than a slight road bump. Those friends though, you know the ones, who jumped ship the second there was a problem or a hardship but came back as soon as it was smooth sailing, yeah, sorry to be the one to tell you this but they are not your friends. Those people who continually "edify" or "help" you every time you hang out by telling you to change yourself or belittle you, get them out of your life. The people who matter most, the people you need to be investing and loving in are the ones you can talk to and know you're being listened to and not just heard, the ones who call you as much as you call them, those are the people you need to invest in. I find myself kind of burnt out on trying to please new people at this stage when we're first meeting, so I've stopped the facades and started just being me 100% of the time. No flashy titles, no talking about myself in a haughty way, I'm just me, T.C. and I'm here to be your friend if you like me. It all boils down to this: If you want a healthy life, start with yourself and then everything else that you do, the people you meet, the friends that you make will be a whole part of you.

In closing I repeat, I am not an expert, but just a 25 year old sharing thoughts from his 6 hours in the car this weekend. I hope in some way this bit of my life can encourage you to invest and love people because without doing that life can get very lonely. Invest, love, live, fellowship.

Until next time by faithful blog readers I leave you with my mantra for 25:

"You are enough, You are so enough, It is unbelievable how enough you are."
-Sierra Boggess

Blessings,

TC

In the Kitchen: Syrupy Soy Chicken

Chinese Takeout. 

A term that I think is probably the most perfectly paired two words in the phone book. Lately I really have been trying to be more frugal about my spending and making sure I'm not going out all the time, I have found a way to satisfy the cravings, the absolute needs I have for that delicious Asian cuisine. The Dumpling Sisters. Two adorable New Zealand, Asian YouTube cooking wizards. 

I am obsessed with their recipe for Syrupy Soy Chicken and it's the best thing I've made in quite some time. I modified their recipe and made it a little more my own and even though I don't eat it out of a small white folded box it still warms me up and makes me feel good and satisfies my craving without spending much from my wallet.

#iamnotachef

Recipe and Directions

Main

2 lbs of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

1/4 cup of Ginger, sliced into small strips

3 Medium Zucchini

8 Spring Onions

Sauce

2 Cups of Water

3/8 Cup of Light Soy

1 tsp of All Purpose Soy

3/8 Cup of Cooking White Wine

1/4 Cup of Sugar

1/2 Tablespoon of fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. Slice your chicken breasts in half and then pound them out with a meat mallet untill 1/2 the original thickness.

2. Wash and cut up zucchini into spears. I cut it in the middle and then each half into six spears. 

3. Using a spoon peel the skin off of your ginger and then after you have about 6-8 good slices, cut them down to small strips. 

4. Preheat your pan to a medium high heat.

5. Put in a table spoon of vegetable oil and the ginger. Once the ginger is turning golden brown it's time to add the chicken.

6. Add the chicken to the pan and seer it on both sides creating a nice golden color.

7. While the Chicken is browning combine all the ingredients for the sauce and stir until the sugar is dissolved. I find using room temperature or warm water helps this step. 

8. Once all the chicken is seared and in the pan add 1/3 of your sauce. Allow the sauce to reduce down to where it will lightly coat a spoon. The sauce must bubble and caramelize the sugar! Then add another 1/3 and reduce again (this is a patient recipe).

9. When you add the last 1/3 of the sauce put the zucchini on top of everything and allow to cook. Move the zucchini down into the sauce as it cooks to allow it to get coated in the sauce.
10. While this process is happening, cut your spring onions lengthwise in half and then width wise into 3 sections (mimicking the length of the zucchini pieces). Toss them in during the last 10 minutes on the stove.

11. Make sure you toss everything together well with the sauce!

12. Serve over your favorite white rice!!

Serves 3-4 

I by no means created this recipe but I definitely modified it! Please check out the dumpling sisters and all their amazing food: http://thedumplingsisters.com/ 

Inspiration & Where I've Been

So April, you have defeated me.

I was really going to be on the ball this month with blogging but I've been so busy. So here's a synopsis of what life is like.

I opened and closed my first Richmond show! I could not have asked for a better company to work for! I seriously cannot wait to work for the producer again. Here's a picture of the production and yes it was experimental theater.

Picture courtesy of K Dance, Inc.

It was extremely fun to do something new and create something a little more avant garde to one of my favorite Shel Silverstein poems. Something I learned from the process is that designing for dance, well modern dance, the costumes are more emotional and evoking than realistic or symbolic. When I was asked to make dancing garbage bags I thought, "What?" The last thing I designed were dresses for private clients, this isn't my element but then I realized, hey idiot take a chance and do something fun for once in your life. So I did.

Now why am I telling you this story, you ask. To inspire you to think outside of the four walls of your training in whatever you do. It's not just applicable for the arts, it's applicable for everything. You sit here and think, "That's not really my area" while you should be thinking, "hey I'll give it a try!" I just want to encourage you to be the best you can be! Do something unconventional!

Anyways, this post is not meant to be a brag post, it's meant to inspire you.

Inspiration comes in all forms from the way a tree blossoms to an abandoned building. Inspiration is all around us.

I hope to keep up better in May!

Snail Mail!

When I was in the third grade we had this assignment to pick out a couple from a book of missionaries and use their address to begin a pen pal. It would teach us to write and to correspond but most of all learn about other cultures. I think mine was in Japan or China but I honestly can't remember which. I do remember every time I opened the mailbox and saw that long envelope with the airmail stamp and blue, white, and red boarder I got so excited and couldn't wait to read what the my friends had written me. We talked about what I was learning and how I would always have adventures at the public library. Side note, I still love the library and wish I lived closer to my favorite one downtown because it's just a place that I feel home.

Some Pixar and Harry Potter Stamps to make that mailbox
delivery extra special.

I get overjoyed every time I open the mailbox and there is a card for me. So yes my birthday week is my favorite week with the trickling of letters coming in to wish me happy birthday and the handwritten notes and memories. Nowadays I find myself as the writer to friends, not as a pen pal but just as something special to do.

I was a wardrobe manager for the majority of the time in college and really loved writing letters to my cast and fellow crew members for opening night because let me tell you that there is something absolutely magical about opening a show on a Friday night after a long tech week and hearing the audience come to a hush as lights went down and the music began. Well that's another post for another time. The whole thing is I still write those friends every opening and just encourage them and let them know how much I can't wait to come see their show.

The stack of letters to take with me to see opening night of
Mary Poppins on April 11th!

I spent last evening writing notes to my friends for April 11th. I always love the canvas that is a blank card. The fact that you can just create happiness with paper and ink. I'm excited this time around because instead of waiting around on the mail and a secret deliverer friend, I am actually attending an opening night. So I'll get to drop them off and make sure I get them there in time. It's also super amazing of my friends to deliver them for me in lieu of my absence on opening nights. I love delivering letters at stations but I even love stamps and mailing even more.

It is becoming difficult to mail everyone in my life but, SOLUTION: I just send out a massive message on facebook from time to time and get a complied list of addresses. From time to time I'll just look at the list and write someone. I like to try and be creative with my letters and design. I think I'm addicted to stamps. You can buy fun ones online if your Post Office like mine only has the boring forever stamps. Well this post seems a little scatter brained but basically I'm just encouraging you to drop a letter instead of sending a facebook message from time to time. It's just so satisfying. Do it!

Until next time, blessings to you all.

Happy April Fools Day!

A quote on fools

-

"I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool."

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald 

Just a goofy shot of me and Randi before a wedding. I'm no good at pranks.
Photo by: Analogy Photography  

Make it Work!

So as a designer and avid card/letter writer, I love my desk. I love having a place where I can spread out and have everything in front of me looking at the month seeing what bills I have to pay and what trips are coming up. I like to stay organized. Over the past week I've reorganized and spring cleaned my room. Now while I did not take before and after pictures I did make one big transformation to my room, my work space.

Before the transformation I had a simple corner desk, a little dresser and a plastic thing full of fabric (yes I have an addiction to fabric). And now I have the first two solely for the office and supplies and a new table I am using for sewing. While making this transformation I realized some easy and tips that might be helpful for you in redoing your work space this spring. 

1. Purge your room - Do you use it? No? Trash it, goodwill it, get it out of your space. I had this plastic double letter tray I'd used since middle school and it collected more dust than anything, gone. I found a bunch of old magazines, one of them being a high school musical edition of People, GONE along with that phase of my life. If you haven't used it in 6 months, get rid of it, unless it's something great like a label maker that is always good to have on hand and as a theater tech I could never live without. 

2. Organize, Organize, Organize! - I turned my little dresser that had only been used for clothing with the top drawer for the junk office drawer and now I have the top drawer for all my office supplies, the middle for all my art supplies, and the bottom for my cards and letters. While cleaning, I realized, had I organized like this sooner I would have noticed I had duplicates of a lot of art supplies and watercolor pallets.  

3. Invest in actual organizing tools - I have an letter tray and a little blue bucket on my desk as my only organizers. The little blue bucket holds all my frequently used items from paintbrushes to pencils. The letter tray has my stamps and other things I like to have on hand without opening a drawer. 

My revamped work space. Still need to get all the cords tamed going to the power strip. 

4. A Cork board - Pin up receipts, save the dates, wedding invites, ticket stubs or whatever you need it for. It's great to utilize for things you don't want getting lost in a drawer. I have a couple save the dates, my strips on a string, my steampunk necklace and just things I don't wanna lose on my board. When I'm shopping and designing a show I always have a bunch of receipts pinned to remind me to reconcile them. 

5. Inspiration - This is my biggest thing I need in a work space. When I got my first office last year I went and immediately printed photos of the people who are a huge impact on my life and great memories. It's great when you're stressed and look over and see your family or your best friends and know they're proud of you and the work you're doing. I also have this awesome design board from a film in the 1950's that I got for Christmas and it's just something that makes me happy. 

I hope this gives you some inspiration when cleaning this spring and makes your work space your happy place. A clean and organized desk is a happy desk. 

Until next time, blessings to you all. 

Revamping!

So first things first, I haven't blogged in 20-some days. Whelp here's to help you get up to speed!

First, I went to see my good friends in The Rivals at my alma mater, Liberty University. Then after that I had the first rehearsal for the show I'm currently designing in Richmond. Life is a touch crazy. I've been job hunting, not my most favorite thing in the world but things are looking up!

Most importantly the reason I've been so busy is....

I launched an Etsy Store! 

I have been dreaming of doing this for the longest time! Those of you who know me personally know how much care and attention to detail that I give to every stitch that goes into a garment, but more importantly my bowties! It's been a long time coming and a lot of planning and designing for a small business venture to start. I'm very excited to see where it all leads even if it's just to help me pay for gas, it'll be a success in my heart. 

I've mapped out the next couple of months with the store and am going to be updating here from time to time about the happenings and new lines. I'd love to share with you all about the things I make and do and still keep my "In the kitchen" and "My favorite films" a weekly digest. 

This pic of my first line, to your right and my left, just kidding, I hope you get my humor. It is what I've been so focused on as of late. If you'd like to check out the shop and the Sunday Brunch collection. The link will be at the bottom of this post. 

Anyways, All that aside I really just want to encourage all of you today and let you know you're wonderful. One, for reading my blog and two, for just being you! I know it sounds very cheesy but on a serious note I want to let you know that I am becoming very aware of how hard quality and life long are to keep. You really have to work at them. So be you to the people who love you and appreciate every moment! Life is full of great things, go find them, especially since the weather is getting warmer. 

Well, until next time, blessings to you all. 

My Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TieCarltonDesigns

My first quilt!

So friends,

The few of you that keep up probably noticed I forgot to blog Friday. I'm already bad at keeping up but here's what I did do this weekend...

Finished my first quilt. So basically I have always wanted, and by always I mean since I started sewing in 2010, to make a quilt. So I was on Pinterest and found this awesome tutorial modified it to what I wanted and made the quilt. I got quilt materials in the form of a Christmas gift card in 2012, bought the materials in January 2013, and 14 months later, it is done. Now granted I didn't work on it that whole time. There was a whole period of 2013 where I had no personal projects at all due to my job.

But never the less I finally finished it and here's what it looks like. I'm really happy with it and think it's an amazing beginner quilt if anyone is looking to make their first! The tutorial's link is below. Hope you all had great weekends I know mine was pretty awesome finishing a big project!


Triangle Quilt Tutorial - http://www.happytogethercreates.com/2012/06/how-i-made-triangle-quilt.html

In the Kitchen: Blueberry Muffins

Today started March and with the start of the month comes checking your bills and planning/budgeting the next four weeks of your life and so on. Well today after doing all the responsible adult things on my to do list I was able to relax this afternoon by making a new recipe for me, my mom's: blueberry muffins. She's made ever since I can remember. It's kind of funny how when you make recipes the first time and they're such cherished memories that they really become yours and you own them. Well before I have a flashback segment to the 90's in the house I grew up here's the recipe for these delicious muffins that make a perfect recipe for you repertoire.

INGREDIENTS
- 1 3/4 Cups of All-Purpose Flour
- 2/3 Cup of Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Baking Powder
- 3/4 Teaspoon of Salt
- 6 Tablespoons of Butter
- 1 egg
- 1/2 Cup of Milk
- 1 tsp Lemon Zest
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup of Fresh or Frozen Blueberries



1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease six 3" by 1 1/2" muffin pan cups. In bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

2. With pastry blender or 2 knives used in a scissor fashion (I used a pastry blender), cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs.

3. In a small bowl , beat egg, milk, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until blended.

4. Stir in egg mixture into flour mixture just until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Fold blueberries into the batter. Spoon the batter into the muffin-pan cups. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden and toothpick inserted in center and comes out clean. Remove muffins and serve warm for best results. Muffins will keep for up to a week when wrapped in cellophane and stored in an air tight container. I suggest you reheat this delicious muffin for full enjoyment.

Let me know if you make them! I'd love to hear back from you all. mine are here to the right. I think besides a tea they are a perfect on the go breakfast and like all my recipes best paired with good friends and conversation. Until the next time I'm hanging my apron up, blessings to you all.

My Favorite Films: Rear Window

Welcome to my first weekly installment of My Favorite Films. On Fridays I'll be posting about my favorite films and their costumes. So here's our first adventure...


Welcome the apartment of LB Jefferies. A photographer who, for the sake of a shot, is currently in a wheelchair. What's a man to do though in the summer with just a wheelchair and a window to view the world? Watch the world. His world is a microcosm, life boiled down to just labels and observations. Ms. Lonelyhearts, Miss Torso, Newlyweds and the list of characters go on.

This film is one of my earliest memories of Alfred Hitchcock in my life. I mean I was a kid raised on Disney and musicals but my dad, the movie fanatic that he is, watched Hitchcock, lots of film noir, Casablanca and lots of TCM channel. With this film however I fell in love immediately with the story and Laura, Ms. Grace Kelly.

I had no idea at that point in my life who Edith Head was or how big of an impact she would play in my life later on. This photo is that icon of the leading lady of 1950's film for me. I can never express that moment in words when she enters the apartment and turns on the lights one at a time while saying her name. The character has finesse and beauty. The dress was perfection. I could go on and on about Grace and her dresses but let's examine everyone else in this film.

Jimmy Stewart is mostly in pajamas. Ms. Torso is in not a whole lot dancing around the apartment. The rest of the characters are all dressed in what normal people wore for the time. It was smart and in the case of Grace Kelly it was gorgeous but most of all it was real. Recently at a costume exhibit in Richmond, Virginia a thought I saw on the wall stuck with me. It said something along the lines that costuming modern film is difficult because you have to create a garment that is both fitting or the character but also fades away completely at the same time. These characters of the 1950's dress their parts. They have gorgeous pieces of clothes we look back on and envy and I'm sure were envied back then. The film is just one of those that the story is perfect from Hitchcock's direction to the set to the clothing. I think it's just that the film seems so effortless that you just forget your watching a movie and you really invest in the characters that makes it one of my favorites. If you get a chance check it out and enjoy. I hope you feel the same.

Welcome

As some of you know this blog was a place where I used to post my adventures, thoughts and life and now I'm changing the game up and creating this as just a personal blog on fashion, costume design and DIY projects. I'm starting an Etsy store and we'll see what else develops from there. I'll be posting every Friday unless there is a special topic coming up (i.e. The Oscars, The Tonys). So here we are back at square 1 let's have some more fun this time around!