Icebreaker T-shirt Contest

Hey Guys!

So as promised (I know you were sitting on the edge of your seats...) here's the reason for my recent endeavors in graphic design:

Icebreaker is an awesome New Zealand brand that brings the world quality adventure wear in the form of Merino wool apparel. And they are currently running a t-shirt design contest. Basically, create your own graphic for one of their summer t-shirts and if it is chosen, you win $1,500NZD worth of Icebreaker gear. A great chance to let some creativity flow, and who knows? Perhaps finally get recognized for your deeply buried artistic talents? Although you'll be slimming my chances for the win, I urge you to give it a try!

Just go to Icebreaker's T-shirt Challenge page. When you select "Submit a Design", you'll see this:

via Icebreaker

So I'll mention now, in case it wasn't obvious, I entered this contest. I thought- no problem! I have heaps of ideas for t-shirt designs. I'll just sketch a few out and...

Oh. Sketching with pen and paper is all good until you realize the medium is a digital t-shirt (above), none of which are white! So how to get this sketch of mine from my head, to paper, to digital shirt?

(Insider secret: I may have a blog, but that's as tech-savvy as I get. And I get several emails each month from people offering to help me "fix" my blog, because it's so basic and old fashioned. [Insider secret inside the insider secret: I will take you up on your offer to fix my blog when your offer is free.])

I realized keeping the design really simple would be part of the key. And I decided to go with something that's on my mind. 

There's this one jump in town that's been my nemesis for about 2 weeks. I've done it, but it scares me, and I crashed once. So I decided to draw myself high in the air, how I imagine it will go when I've done it 100 times.

Thats it. All the artistic skills I've got. You ready to hire me, Icebreaker?

Ok great. So I've put Sharpie to paper. Now how do I get it on to the computer with no scanner, and how do I turn the background blue or green or purple?

All of these things took a lot of learning about computers. I downloaded a free graphic design program called Pixlr. I spent hours playing around with it yesterday, as you saw with the mutilated wedding photos. Unfortunately, I don't think our sustainable, homegrown NZ apparel company in question is looking for artwork á la "Biker Grunge":

The rules to the contest are simple:
- The artwork must be your own
- There must not be more than 3 colors in the design.

At first I tried to color match the background by "eyeballing it" and made it a bit stylized.

I didn't think it was bad, but put it on the tshirt:

Hm, maybe not.

So I spent some more time playing around and did the best I could to color match the background. It's a long story and I won't bore you, but I ended up deciding my biker should't be so dark. So I went this direction:

Which I liked for about 30 minutes. Then the white outline drove me nuts, and I decided the Icebreaker logo in the corner was too much and if they actually liked my novice design, they could put a more flash logo anywhere they like.

Then I was inspired to make the whole thing white. A little more airy feel to the bike in the air (or something). In the end, the simplicity worked for me, and this is what I submitted:

Before you go complimenting me (oh, you weren't going to??) here's a look at the competition:

via Icebreaker

Sooo.... you know. But I had a lot of fun with creative process, and I urge you to give it a try too. I know one of you out there will have the proper computer skills to make something great. And my finder's fee for this contest is you only give me half of your $1500 winnings! (This is a bad joke. Please go! Win!) The contest closes on October 8.

Lastly, if you haven't got the time to design an awesome t-shirt of your own, you can at least vote for your favorite here below. You won't find my design because these are the finalists (I believe) from the last contest. But hey, once again, you could win free stuff!

Click me to VOTE.

Blog Contest Time (Again)

Hey guys,

I jumped on that writing contest bandwagon again and my entry is live at over at Expats Blog. There are actually a ton of really entertaining entries and I wasted enjoyed way too much reading many of them this morning. If you're looking to seriously procrastinate on doing that laundry and those bills, I suggest you check it out too. First, take a peek at my entry and share/comment if you can find the time. (This is how one goes about winning, which I do not expect, but would be neat.) You'll have to log in which I agree is a pain and I don't know why they do it that way!!!. But hopefully my little article will at least make you smile, and even possibly help one person with one little New Zealand question or concern. Cheers!

Click here for my entry

Random Thoughts and Things

I have a bunch of photos from this Art Garden south of Queenstown. I thought it was super cool, although I may be the only one. We cruised around and checked out some unique art (mostly NZ culture or yoga inspired), and enjoyed the wonderful views and gardens. I don't have much else to add, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves... and throw in the rest of my random thoughts of the day.

Random Thought: Today is April 2, the equivalent of October 2 in the northern hemisphere. Someday I'll stop trying to convert the seasons and just accept them for what they are, but right now I am still constantly converting. Anyways, it was about 75 degrees and sunny. I treated myself to a walk on the beach and I realized... I live closer to the ocean than I do to a grocery store! By about 10 minutes! I vow to go to the beach more often.

Check out that un-staged rainbow!

Random Thought: I did not win my blog contest. Or come even close. But I don't blame you guys... sharing via social media is an awful way to vote (no offense, Expats Blog.) And I don't like spamming you guys. And frankly, I wasn't nearly as creative as some of the winners. You can check them out here.

We were on the 45th parallel, the southern equivalent of being in southern France

Random Fact: Christchurch has an "international relationship" with Seattle, WA. I don't know what is included in this relationship. I don't even know if Seattle knows. They didn't tell us about it when we were there last summer. Maybe Seattle is cheating.

I really like this picture.

Random Fact: The above photo is currently the background on my computer screen. I really like the colors. And some day I'd like to work in the wine business. Maybe.

You guys are going the wrong way!

Random Thought: Easter is a really big deal in New Zealand. Like at most holiday times, Kiwis feel the need to pack up and go on vacation effectively shutting down essential businesses such as banks, auto mechanics, and my favorite cafe. For Easter, they start on Good Friday, and stretch it on through "Easter Monday". I think Easter Monday really is a thing, but it's not in the States, and I'm not up on my biblical studies. For Scott it was all pure awesomeness and 4 day weekend bliss. For me it was actually awesome in the form of 4 days of holiday pay and 2 days in lieu.

Took this one with my grandmas in mind...

Extended Thought From The Above Thought: Do they have "days in lieu" in the States? Like, when you work a holiday you get holiday pay and a full vacation day credit? I like it. I also like the non-commercialism of the holiday. Just like at Christmastime, there was a noticeable lack of holiday vomit. 

We saw him, he was big.

Random Thought: I haven't bought one piece of new clothing since we moved here. But it's not because I haven't tried. I just cant wrap my head around fashion here (and in turn they probably think i have awful fashion). I have 3 long sleeved shirts to my name and winter will be here in a matter of weeks, so I really need to figure it out!

Random facts within my post about random facts...

Back to the easter thing: I got this amazing shipment from my amazing mother for Easter. Not that the rocky road eggs lasted until Easter, and less than one week later there's only one cookie left. But how awesome is this... Upper Crust (Chico, CA) cookies with eating instructions:

Thanks mom, you're the best!

8 Things To Do In Christchurch For Less Than $8

Sincere apologies for the lack of updates this week! We were in Queenstown for the last 6 days (this, I am not sorry about) and the wi-fi was atrocious. I would have loved to do a small photo post or a quick update about the race from hell 6 hour enduro, but the connection was even too poor for that. So, hiatus it was.

I have a ridiculous amount of photos to upload and sift through, and I will have to take some time to compose my most poignant thoughts (ha!) for my next few posts. But in the meantime....

I wrote another article for Expats Blog. This time, the topic was provided, and it is entered in their annual writing contest. The topic? Write your own "Top 10 Whatever to do Wherever" article. Like, Top 10 Museums To See in Paris, etc. Be creative.

I thought to myself, no problem! I've got this one in the bag. ...and then I started thinking about it. Be creative? Winners will be chosen by social media?... er... hm. I'm not so big on the social media.

After pondering, forgetting about it, and pondering some more, I decided I would write the best article I could about activities in Christchurch. After all, most travelers are downright wary about coming here at all. Christchurch is a pretty main hub on your South Island adventure though (ie: Hwy 1 travels through, and there's no easy way around it), so you may as well have a few ideas of what to do while you're here, right?

Coming up with things to do wasn't hard for me, and keeping them cheap wasn't hard either since Scott & I are pretty frugal with our hard earned money. But writing about it... a bit dry. Trying to make it entertaining without sounding like a cheap travel advert... impossible I think. Sandals Resorts may be calling any moment to offer me a job in sales.

Anyways, you can find my article here: Expats Blog Writing Contest March 2013. If you would like

to "vote" for me, you have to share my article on Facebook, Twitter, or Google. At the foot of the article there's a little "Help To Win" box, where you can share it. Comments help too, but they are really looking for the social media connections. Obviously, I would love it if anyone wants to do this; especially if you've found my article helpful in any way!

Alright, I'll leave you with a beautiful picture from our week. This is your reward for reading my article (now go do it!)

Lake Tekapo, New Zealand

                             

And The Bronze Goes To...

You guys are awesome!

I placed third in the Lexiophiles Top 100 International Exchange & Experience Blogs Competition. There were over 250 entrants, and winners were chosen solely by the blog readers. So thank you!

Please take a moment to check out the full list of winners here.

As a prize, a donation has been made in my name to UNICEF: The United National Children's Fund. I have fundraised for and donated to UNICEF in the past, and I think they are a great organization. I am so pleased to have a donation made in my name. So again, thank you!

I'm off to work guys... (boring!), but here's a photo or two of what is happening right now. Completely un-edited, I promise. Daily sunrises are almost as healing as yoga.

Blog Contest

Hi guys!

It's a cold, grey morning... which at home in the States would mean it's winter. But here... it will probably last for a few hours and then get hot and humid, and then tonight there will probably be 70mph gales threatening to blow our house down.

I'm off to work in a few minutes, but I have a fun little task for you. My blog was nominated, by an individual unbeknownst to me (thank you, whoever you are!), for a top international exchange blog contest. The website is a "languages website", tag line Love Your Words, which really, I do. So anyways, I am happy to be nominated.

You can click here to see the website and to vote (through February 17). I'm sure there's a ton of other cool blogs to check out on the list of nominees as well. Unfortunately I haven't had time yet to browse through them. Alternatively, you can also click on the button I've added over in the right hand column.

Ok, enough business. I'm off to work.

Sunrise from our window on Sunday morning.

P.S. How mad are you guys about the Super Bowl???!?! All your angry stomping caused another earthquake over here in New Zealand! Calm down!