life // isn't fair... and neither are You!

6 years ago, I lived what I thought was the darkest moment in my life. I got a call from my dad, and with a broken voice he told me my grandpa had died. That was it. One minute he was ok, the next he was gone. I thought that was the worst thing that could have happened to me but I was wrong. My life changed back then forever, and I never went back to being the same... Well, my life have suddenly turned into the worst of my nightmares again. This time it was my mom on the phone... It was her broken voice telling me my dad was gone. That's it... One second she was telling me he was on a biking trip with his friends, the next he was no longer with us.

I'm in shock... I can't believe it. I'm waiting for my plane to depart to what's going to be my longest and most horrible trip ever. I'm going back home not with the joy to spend time with my family, but with the sadness that consumes my heart and soul because I won't see you ever again. I will never again listen to your voice, fight with you, hug you, or feel your beard against my skin when you kiss me. I will never again be able to prove you that I will accomplish my dreams. I will never again see that light in your eyes that you had when you looked at me feeling proud. 

The minute I land in Bogota, this nightmare will turn real and I don't know I have the strength to deal with it. You were too young! You weren't supposed to die! God wasn't supposed to ripped you off our sides. Your life had a meaning! You saved lives! You gave hundreds of elderly people the chance to keep living many more years in dignity. Your hands were blessed. You were our blessing. You took care of yourself. Didn't smoke nor drink. You believed sport would allow you to live many more years. You were totally healthy. I thought we had the rest of our lives to spend together. 

Why... Why did you take him away? We believed in you. We made you part of our lives with pride and happiness. We put our lives and that of our loved ones in your hands! We believed you would keep us safe. And for the second time in my life, you didn't. You took away one of the 3 most important persons in my life. You took away my hero, my life. What am I supposed to do now? Believe that there's a reason why you did this? Keep believing you are the loving god I so believed in? How? How can I when there's no possible explanation to my dad not being here anymore. To me having to rush to the airport to take the next fight back home. To me never again being able to spend one more second with him. How can I see light in this darkness? 

blogging // new editorial schedule

As you already know, keeping up with my first attempt of an editorial schedule was too difficult so I've decided to make some changes. I will keep all (but one) of the editorials I've already started, but won't be doing it on a weekly basis. Let's break it down to make it easier:

The series I'll keep are:

• SPD RedCarpet :: dedicated to surface pattern designers and their work
• Styling Made Easy :: a guide to help you develop and strengthen your own unique style
• Beauty Breakdown :: my Thursdays column as a guest blogger on Rachael Taylor's blog where I show beautiful and inspiring beauty packaging
• Design Kit :: websites, apps, and tools that I consider will help most designers get the work done
• Mani Sundays :: fun and easy nail-art video-tutorials
• 2013 Designer Calendar :: monthly freebie/printable beautifully designed calendars just for you!

How often will I have them: 

• All the other series (except for Beauty Breakdown and 2013 Designer Calendar) will be published two per week, every other week :: so basically, a week I'll showcase a great fellow designer and post a design tool, while the week after I'll post a style guide and a nail-art how-to, and then will blog again about another designer and tool, and so on. 
• SPD RedCarpet and Design Kit :: Monday and Friday respectively
• Styling Made Easy and Mani Sundays :: Tuesday and Sunday respectively

But that's not it...

• once a month I'll post around + about images on YouBlog :: pictures of things I find inspiring, nice or interesting wherever I am and/or go
• every now and then I'll blog about my self-care journey 
• I can't promise not to just blog about random stuff once in a blue moon :P

NEW!!! You choose, I make! :: I kind of want a bit more interaction between you guys and me ;)

• Every Wednesday I'll ask you to choose between 2 themes. 
• The winner theme will be used by me to create a new product for my MaJoBV Digitals shop. 
• I'll add the new product to the shop the following Thursday (accompanied by either a discount code or a freebie for you ;) ) 

Let's start the fun! 

@majobv: would you like me to create a new collection inspired by the Circus or Superheroes?

how-to // 10 things that will make you a better blogger

The first time I had a blog I had noooooo idea what I was doing. Some very good friends of mine were doing and using it as a creative writing outlet and I just wanted in the fun. The problem was, I didn't have much to write about and it didn't occur to me that it could be more of a design blog (duh!) It then became a dark, side space where I wrote some thoughts after my grandpa died. It was way to sad so I decided to make it private and forget about it. 

Three years passed by, I quit my job at a fashion house and started my job search again. I got a job as an English teacher, but felt the need to be creative. I started to participate in Spoonflower's contest and needed a place to share my work with the world, as well as my inspiration and process.  And so La Pâtisserie des Idées was born: a blog for me to cook ideas and to share those of other bakers ;) I kept it for over 2 years… it became my baby. I spent hours designing and regularly changing its layout and looking for ways to make it better and prettier. But something was missing: I wasn't really engaging many readers. Yes, some people used to stop by and comment (which made me really really happy) but I wasn't able to create a consistent interaction between my readers and I. 

Last December I decided to change blogs and started muyMaJo! after being advised it was better to have a blog under my same brand's name or close to it (for brand's recognition/building purposes). It was hard and sad, but I saw it as an opportunity to start fresh. My old Pâtisserie will always be in my heart. I sometimes look through it and realise how much I grew over 2 years I kept it ;) But again… I keep doing something wrong because I haven't been able to capture many followers nor truly connect with the few I have. 

I want to be a good blogger because I really enjoy it so I've been reading/studying about it. In April I read Melanie Biehle's Blog with Purpose e(work)book and confirmed five things I had been thinking about (but not acting on) over the years: 

1. Keep a uniform design throughout your blog: stick to a single image size, font, watermark, etc. :: a little after I started this blog I committed to making all my images 500px wide, but have been naughty with the watermark bit (from now on I'll do better).
2. You need to decide what you want to blog about and commit to it :: my blog is about me (my personal and professional journey as a fashion, textile + pattern textile designer), my work, and everything I find inspiring... I pretty much had this one clear. 
3. Having an editorial schedule not only makes it easier for you to blog coherently, but also for your readers to know when to pop by :: back in May I decided I was going to write my blog in 3 languages, and blog 5 days a week: SPD RedCarpet on Mondays, Styling Made Easy on Wednesdays, Beauty Breakdown on Thursdays, Design Kit on Fridays, and Mani Sundays on well… Sundays. But that wasn't it: I also decided to commit to the #52collections challenge which not only meant creating a design a day but blogging twice a week about it too. 
4. Interacting with your readers is essential to build that relationship I so desire :: always reply to their comments, create posts where they can have a saying, and launch contests/giveaways to thank them for being by your side. 
5. Create valid content :: put something out there that's interesting or relevant to what your readers would like to know, learn, be informed or simply look at.

Now, let's talk about how my mistakes have made me learn some other useful things (and some things I've been doing okay):

1. Acknowledge when you've made a mistake: your readers will definitely appreciate knowing you are human :: When I decided my editorial schedule I didn't realise I was biting more than I could chew. Blogging almost everyday of the week, plus working on a weekly collection, plus regular designing and my second job is just too much for me to keep up. Not to mention doing all that in 3 languages… I was just nuts to think I was going to pull that off! 
2. Be consistent :: you don't have to blog everyday, but do it at least once a week. How can you build a community if you are nowhere to be found in a month and then all of a sudden you post about your latest work? It is hard to keep people interested in you, even more if they aren't constantly reminded of you. I've been guilty for this too… sorry!  
3. Be yourself :: address your readers like you're talking to your friends… you want them to be your friends so this only makes sense, right? Let them know the real you, the person behind your work. It will definitely help them identify with you and hopefully like you more, lol (also… be funny! or at least try to).
4. Don't be egocentric :: don't just post your work; blog about other things that interest you and your readers too.
5. Be inclusive :: this one correlates a lot with the previous one; how boring would it be for your blog to be all about you, you, you? Make it also about the people you admire, you share something with, you enjoy reading or looking at. Make your blog a place where everyone feels included :)

So now what?

Well… 

my first attempt to having an editorial schedule was a total failure, but thanks to it I learnt and now I can work on a better solution that will better suit the time I have available. I've decided I will stick with just writing in English… It breaks my heart 'cause I really wanted to reach people who speak my other two languages, but the truth is: it is way too much work to keep a blog in 3 languages - it is like keeping 3 blogs actually! I rather put all of my energy in posting quality content and blogging regularly. 

I hope these 10 tips will enlighten your blogging journey as they've done with mine. If you've find them useful, pin it! and comment below to let me know your favourite or one of your own :D

Also, don't forget to come back tomorrow to discover my new editorial schedule and how I plan to make it work this time ;)

freebies // The 2013 Designer Calendar :: October

Fall officially started a week ago, but it was still warm and sunny in Milan so it didn't feel that way at all. This week looks like it really has arrived with its foggy sky and unpredictable rain. Not a problem though, you know why? Because Jookiku's fun, quirky and colourful October calendar is here to lift us up! Won't your day just get better once you write on this beauty? Sure mine will! It just makes me smile :)  

Julianne Hall (the fab designer behind Jookiku) is an happy Aussie with an adorable little boy. I loooove Julianne's work: it is so whimsical and imaginative. She is really great in creating magical and adorable characters and worlds, and I couldn't be happier to have her as part of my 2013 Designer Calendar!

download

About Julianne:

Julianne Hall is an illustrator/surface pattern designer whose brand goes under the name of Jookiku; a name not meaning anything in particular, but is inspired by the quirkiness of Japanese design and embodies the flavour of her whimsical characters and brightly coloured patterns.

Julianne completed a Bachelor of Design (Visual Communication) at the University of Technology Sydney. She worked as a textile designer/graphic designer for companies in Sydney, New York and London. Now based back in Australia she is concentrating on her first love: surface pattern design, through her world of Jookiku: brightly coloured patterns filled with winged creatures, kooky castles and quirky animals.

The patterns and illustrations of Jookiku are inspired by children's books (old and new), Japanese design, vintage 'discoveries' such as packaging, clothing and ornaments. Julianne also says that a lot of the time, her little creatures just appear on the page, without too much thought..."these are my most favourite and have the most personality!" she says.

Julianne's passion is designing for textiles and homewares - especially for the children's market. She has signed a new licensing deal with the American based company KekaCase (who produces iphone/kindle and iphone cases) and is looking forward to launching her first range under the Jookiku label towards the end of the year.

Her quirky detail:

"I am obsessed with the colour pink! It makes me really happy. I have splashes of it inside my home everywhere: a cuckoo clock, cat lights, shoes, clothes and even a pink mix-master in the kitchen!"

Her favourite Designer:

"I have 2 favourites: Florence Broadhurst and Lucienne Day.

Florence Broadhurst's work inspired me to want to be a surface pattern designer. When I discovered her and her beautiful patterns, something in me woke up! I am also fascinated by her life story - extremely colourful on so many levels.

I also love Lucienne Day's work for the retro style of it. The gorgeous colours, shapes and linework of her patterns were created in the 1950s/60s, but they are timeless, you would think they were created yesterday!"

You can download October here or clicking on the download link below the image above, and remember, it can be printed as big as an A3 format (42x29.7cm / 16.5x11.7in). Don't forget to visit Julianne's portfolio and blog to keep up to date with her amazing work. 

life // summer update

So I've been kind of out of the blogging scene for the whole Summer, and you have noooooo idea how much I've missed it! It's been a Summer filled with lots of events that have kind of caused me to be away, but I've decided it's time to come back to you and my lovely blog ^_^
Before I do so, I think you deserve a little update (promise to try and be concise!)

June >>>

• went back home in Colombia for 2 months of summer break in the company of my family
• my KekaCase licensed tablet cases were launched in their online shop… woohoo! (now they are also available on Amazon UK; how cool is that?)
• launched my first ever ecourse
• was a runner-up in MOYO's Floral Twist design brief, yaaay!
• started my self care journey   
• began 2 months of self-insight holiday thanks to the fab Blog Lovin' tour organised by The Declaration of You gang (Jessica, Michelle, Abby and Pierre)

July >>>

• completed the first 3 weeks of my ecourse with success and got lots of amazing feedback from my wonderful students
• got through the first post-op month: it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't easy either :: starting to eat again was surprisingly difficult
• I did my best to start my "you gotta move your butt" new life :: for the first month I walked 15min a day (you can't imagine how difficult those 15min were)
• enjoyed family time

August >>>

• came back home in Italy
• got lots of "gosh! you look slimmer…" comments :: they felt good :P
• turned 29th (geeez! time flies)
• bought real sneakers for when I'll start some real workout
• decided to face one of my greatest fears and bought a new bicycle. Yes… riding a bike completely terrified me, but in my journey to a healthier me, I thought it was a good idea to say goodbye to public transportation and hello to eco-friendly transportation (will post about this new experience soon)
• won Petal to Petal's lovely giveaway (first time ever... so happy!) :: thank you so much Lily! Your work is lovely, delicate and sooooo romantic!!! Really hope to have my very own working space soon so I can start a wall with all the beautiful artwork created by my fellow designers :D

September >>>

• wrote MOYO's a postcard from… article for their fifth issue :: nice!
• won Jessica Swift's giveaway (wow! twice in 2 months :) ) :: got the magazine last week and it is truly filled with lots and lots of inspirational women and spaces (thank you Jessica and Where Women Work for the great gift!)
• spent part of my new iMac's budget in a new gym's subscription (the other half -and more- went on to pay my taxes -sad face-) I didn't get a new fab computer, but I knew getting access to a gym was a more important investment in myself 
• have been going to the gym 5 times a week… it hasn't been easy 'cause I'm not a sports kind-of-girl. Most of the time I have no desire to go, but I still do (good girl! right?) :: oh! at least now have the proper shoes to use ;)
• received a lovely efuto envelop made by Studio Alique :: thank you so much Alik, it is gorgeous! 
• started my third year of German :: didn't study German at all this Summer so it has been hard >:O
• Zeixs let me know they'll be publishing some of my patterns (or maybe just one, didn't really give me any details) in their upcoming pattern book… another yaaaaay!
• got an unexpected gift pack from Rachael Taylor Designs filled with some of her beautiful products :: thank you Rachael and Kelly… I love getting surprise mail
• have started working on some new MaJoBV products to launch soon so stay tuned! :P
• I fell in love with my bike ♥

whew! finished… for now :P
These past three months have truly been eventful and filled with changes. My weight loss journey continues slowly but steady (I'll blog in more depth about this soon too -with some before and after pics-) However, I've also felt foggy and unable to really focus… my doctor says it's because my body has to still get used to the low caloric intake, other people say it is because of the anaesthesia (its effects are supposed to last for at least a year o.O ). The lack of focus has been the hardest thing and has partly caused me to slow down creating and also blogging, but I'll overcome it! My mind is stronger than the stupid anaesthetic drugs, right?

Anyway, I have some more things to tell you but I rather first properly welcome Fall with tomorrow's beautiful calendar freebie (come back tomorrow to download it), and then I'll tell you everything else :D