post grad

So, life as a college graduate is more lackluster than anticipated, but it has given me some time to be lazy, recover from undergrad, live life unemployed, and paint a little here and there. After my August graduation my life plans did somewhat of a 180...not as dramatic though so maybe like a 147 or so..? Seems about right.

....I still haven't the slightest clue what my future holds...but I like it.

One thing I do know for certain is that my desire to make a difference will always remain. I really hope you guys consider supporting my cause. I will have more paintings posted shortly. I've done a few different things with the wedding trees and have some exciting news about those to come as well.

Thanks for checking out my post grad update and for those of you still in school-- seriously, never leave. Growing up isn't that cool, promise.

Now I shall leave you with the latest piece. Mirrors are cool. ----->

Forgive my poor picture quality on just about all of my paintings, workin' on it!

ywca of greater memphis

For the past four years or so, I've been driving the same routes around the University of Memphis. Down Highland and back for classes, local bars, coffee shops, and the dreaded trips to the gas pump. What I always cruised right by and never thought twice about until recently was this little building between the. It is the YWCA (Young Women's Christian Association).

"The Young Women’s Christian Association is a women’s membership movement nourished by its roots in the Christian faith and sustained by the richness of many beliefs and values.

Strengthened by diversity, the association draws together members who strive to create opportunities for women’s growth, leadership and power in order to attain a common vision: peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all people.

The association will thrust its collective power toward the elimination of racism wherever it exists and by any means necessary." 

                                                                            from www.memphisywca.com

I want to help. 

So, I wanted to post their wish list. Reading over this list, as simply an act as it is, can be incredibly humbling as a woman. Items I walk to my bathroom or make a short trip to the store for are things that many women in MY community don't have access to. 

Take a second to look at this list. If you're in Memphis, consider making a donation and let us know about it! If you're not local, I hope you'll do some research on shelters in your community and give them a call to see what items they need. Or, if you want to help me contribute to the women in Memphis, take a look at some of my paintings under the "art" tab above!

 

ABUSED WOMEN’S SERVICES

Emergency Shelter

Shelter Wish List

Thank you for your interest in donating items to the women and children residing in our shelter program.  Below is a list of items that the shelter and residents could benefit from.  When families enter the shelter, they generally come with very little.  We would like to ensure that every child receives a toy as they enter the shelter.  Additionally, our shelter is a violence-free environment; therefore, we request that no toy guns or toys of a violent nature are donated.  Currently, we so not have a need for clothing items other than those listed below as our clothes closet is full.  THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!!

Please deliver donations to 766 S. Highland or call Kathy at 323-2211 for directions.

Items for shelter:

Umbrellas

Batteries (All sizes)

Flashlights

Pots and pans

Cooking/eating utensils

Tool set

Towels (bath and face)

Twin sheet sets

Pillows

Blankets

Twin mattress covers

Standard pillow covers

Dish towels

Dining room chairs

Microwave

Refrigerator

Chest freezer

Living room set (sofa,

love seat and chair)

Toilet tissue

Paper towels

Facial tissue

Dish washing liquid

Cleaning supplies

Bleach

Light bulbs

Laundry detergent

Irons

Items for women:

Handbags

Wallets

Jewelry

Watches

Perfume

Gowns/pajamas

Slippers

Robes

Hosiery

Socks

New panties (all sizes

especially plus sizes)

New bras (all sizes especially

plus sizes)

Perm kits (African-American

hair texture)

Hair coloring

Feminine hygiene products

Journals

Day planners

Disposable cameras

Phone cards

Movies (VHS) for adults

(Non-violent content)

Tooth paste

Bubble bath

*Subscription to Commercial

Appeal

Items for children:

Toys (for all ages)

Books (for all ages) (English &

Spanish Languages)

Dolls

Cars and trucks

“Dress up” jewelry/clothing

Video games

Children’s videos (English &

Spanish Languages)

Footballs/basketballs

Portable cassette/compact disc players

Child seats (for the car)

School uniforms

Backpacks

Diapers (all sizes)

Baby wipes

New sippy cups/pacifiers/bottles

New children’s underwear (all sizes)

New socks (all sizes)

Slippers

Robes

Pajamas

Strollers

Potty Seats

Food Items:

Canned meat (tuna, salmon, etc.)

Canned vegetables (corn, peas, etc.)

Dry goods (beans, etc.)

Sugar

Juice boxes

School Supplies

Notebooks

Pencils

Crayons

Folders

Pencil Sharpeners

Pencil Box

Backpacks

White Loose leaf paper

Rulers

Dictionaries

Calculators

Lunchboxes

Small assignment notebooks

logo

After quite some time of nit-picking every little aspect of my creation, I have finally created THE PERFECT logo for Arbour Beauty and I am so stinking excited! I am so thankful that I'm familiar with the ends and outs of Adobe InDesign and was able to create my very own logo exactly how I want it.

It  shows everything that Arbour Beauty stands for and I couldn't be more satisfied with the way it turned out!



What do y'all think?

time for twine

You know those shopping trips you embark upon with great caution? The "I'm only gonna get the stuff on my list, nothing else!" trips to the grocery. Well, for me, this happened in the craft store.
The Memphis heat coupled with the insane humidity would make even the devil break a sweat. It's miserable. So I planned to make a quick trip and be outside and in my poorly AC equipped vehicle for as little time as humanly possible. In and out. But alas, the my crafty instincts were against me.

There was a SALE.

So I flip-flopped down just about every aisle and picked up some things I certainly didn't need bu by gosh I wasn't gonna pass up 75% off.

Twine. On sale. It looked cool. I liked the color (earth tones are my friend), so I grabbed a big ole spool and before I could control my urges, I had a bout 50 bucks worth in my cart. Oops!

Needless to say, I created this fun little tree from my twine find and I must say I quite enjoy it.

The perks of impulsive shopping at its finest, y'all.

update

Just a little update here...

I'm working on the finishing touches of my logo!

I'm way excited :) Once I finish, I'll be able to have some cards and other things for when I sell paintings.

I guess that's not really much of an update, but I don't want to spoil the other things I've been working on until they're complete.

So for now, I'll leave you with that, and this painting I just posted. The background is a deep robin's egg color. LOVE! 

'tis the season...wedding season

So as I begin to post more often on here (finally, right?) I will be sharing a few different things such as updates on my donation drop offs and beauty tips/ DIY. I figure if I'm donating beauty products I might as well have some fun with them, too. I'm excited to get to try some things I've been curious about for some time now! So look back tomorrow for some beauty related advice and go ahead and prepare yourself for how goofy I'm about to look in the pictures... :)

What I'm really here to talk about today is a new little something that I accidentally started doing literally like...oh, I'd say three days ago. I was painting, listening to my dear friend Beethoven, when I decided to turn a swirly tree into this...

And  it seems to be perfect timing because it is that time of year! I've got a lot of friends getting engaged and married these days (When did I grow up? Weird.) and this is the perfect "happy" for the newlyweds!

On top of that, it only seems right to broaden Arbour Beauty's horizon and custom make these to sell to benefit our cause. So, for $15, you can purchase these for the new happy couples in your life. I will also be making them in black (background) and white (tree/writing) if those colors work better for the space.

This one above is my folks wedding date, long long ago...but still goin' strong!

So, what do y'all think?

trees overseas

                                          First of all let me just say that jet lag is a PUNK!

Beautiful view of  the ruins in Ancient Corinth. 

My body is so confused about what time of day it is which is making it hard for me to be productive. Not to mention the past couple of days have been rainy here in Memphis which, to me, is automatic permission for a "lay in my bed and watch Law & Order: SVU" day. But sometimes the down time is more productive than not. I'm working on editing the pictures I took during the month I was in Greece and have just added some new ones to Arbour Beauty!
Not only that, but a rainy day is a great excuse to hide out in my room, crank up the Adele and get to painting. I'm excited to upload and share some of the art I've been working on, so keep an eye out for those here in the next couple of days. I'll be updating later  with some more information about the shelters that Arbour Beauty will benefit. I'v also got some new ideas headed your way!

Check out the new photos and don't forget to view my paintings on etsy.com.

For now, back to painting.

headed home

I am so excited to get back to the states and use the summer to continue building Arbour Beauty! Four weeks away has been hard and I feel behind, but knowing that I have so many new pictures to share is pretty stinking exciting. On more than one (or two, or even ten) occasions, I was left behind by the group at the sites we visited in Greece because I was taking pictures of trees. Oops! It was totally worth it though because as I sit in McDonald's at the Athens airport (where they're playing Lovefool by The Cardigans...I don't hate it) waiting for my flight, I can't stop thinking about all the new ideas I have for the summer.

When I return to the red white and blue I will get some of these pictures uploaded and get to painting! The pictures might be uploaded before then considering I have 8 more hours of airport sitting to do (and by sitting I mean people watching). 

I hope everyone is having an amazing summer so far and I hope you'll follow me on Twitter @MarissaCroft for some AB information and my various life shenanigans. I hope to have the Facebook page done soon, too!

I also just realized the excessive amount of exclamation marks used in this post. 

Judge if you must, but I'm excited to be home and get some new things going so I feel as though a few enthusiastic punctuation marks is allowed.

Be in touch shortly! Only 26 hours until I'm home.

αντίο

...that means "farewell" in Greek...and guess what? Greece is where I will be for the next month!

Two of my best friends and I will be studying abroad in Greece during May and we leave this Sunday. I am sad to have to put a bit of a hault on Arbour Beauty, but the good news is that I will have so many amazing pictures! I'm not sure if trees look any different over there but I suppose we will find out :) I don't know that I will be doing much painting over there, but that might be okay after all. Instead, I'd like to spend some time researching the lives of women over there.

Do not fear, I will still have access to internet and all that jazz so I can certainly keep you all up to date on my whereabouts, findings, and shenanigans from abroad! I hope maybe I can spend some time really sharing Arbour Beauty and getting the word out around town, even from Greece. Isn't social media amazing?

I will update later this week with a couple more paintings I've been working on, but for now, here is a lovely tree trunk I came across on the University of Memphis campus last week while walking to class! When the tree is in bloom, it is gorgeous!

LOOKY HERE!

Well, well, well...

Arbour Beauty is spreading awareness across the University of Memphis campus now!

I am just about done with my last full semester of undergrad seeking a Bachelor's of Arts in Journalism. One of my last classes has been Feature Writing where we write feature stories about different people, places, or interesting things around Memphis. One of my classmates, Crystal, is on staff with The Daily Helmsman, our campus newspaper and recently asked me if she could write a story on Arbour Beauty for the paper! Of course I said YES! I am so thankful for the opportunity that came along giving all University of Memphis students the chance to read about my vision. I hope it builds more awareness of the project and that people will start following my project and hop on board.

So here is the article, enjoy!

Student paints for poverty

AB on Etsy & Domestic Violence Grows

As of today, I have FOUR of the paintings listed on my etsy shop online! 

If you're not familiar with etsy, you should definitely check it out. It is an online source that allows folks to sell handmade creations such as paintings, jewelry, purses, etc. I could spend all day on there just looking at all the amazing things people have made! 

I wanted to create an Arbour Beauty store on etsy so that even people who may not be familiar with my blog could still hear about it. Also, etsy ensures a secure purchase so y'all don't need to worry about any of that!

I hope you all look through the paintings I've got going so far, but, I'd also like you to take the time and read this article from The Commercial Appeal. Violence among partners in Memphis is a growing problem.

Commercial Appeal: Crimes drop from 2010-2011 in Tenn. | Domestic violence cases continue to rise

Below is the excerpt that reassured me that I am doing something good for my city.

The Memphis murder numbers meant a 29 percent increase in homicides from 2010, and Shelby County Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich said part of the increase is due to the city's high number of domestic violence cases. Some of the categories overlap, but Weirich said, "Seventeen percent of homicides in 2011 stemmed from domestic violence cases. Forty-two percent stemmed from an argument or physical altercation, and 68 percent were individuals related or acquainted with each other."

And, while other crimes go down, the number of domestic violence cases goes up. From about 4,000 cases in 2008, the number has steadily climbed to 7,770 cases last year, said Karen Cook, chief domestic violence prosecutor in Weirich's office.

by: Michael Lollar

I really hope that 2012 is different, what can you do to help?

Branching Out

I've added new paintings to the "Art" tab, so take a look at those! I've found myself thinking more and more about what I can do in Memphis. I am so anxious to make my first sell and collect enough to make a substantial purchase for Memphis Family Shelter. I am looking into other women's shelters in the area and what Arbour Beauty can do for them, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know by commenting on this post! One of my best friends and roommate Shelby has been a huge encouragement with all of this and I certainly couldn't have done the video in my last post without her! (view here on YouTube) 


I'm working on some final touches with my etsy account so please bare with me and hopefully I will have that posted tomorrow! 


I also added a picture to "Trees". It is my sweet Mimi sitting on the porch of the family farm in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Isn't it beautiful?

Blooming

My vision is finally coming together!
I am working on uploading my paintings and getting everything set up on my etsy.com account. Currently in my Gender and Women's Studies class, we are discussing partner abuse and its emotional affect. The topic has really become something I am passionate about so I absolutely cannot wait to start helping these women and their children. 
Please take the time to view this video about Arbour Beauty and share! I will upload another video once I've sold enough to make a contribution and visit the shelter to deliver the make-up and beauty products.

Some Trees and a Dream

Whelp, I guess you have realized that I love trees. A tree hugger? Not so much, but maybe a little. In my blog, I hope to inspire other young people who may also be passionate about something, but not sure what to do with it. If that sounds like you, then why not consider using your talents and interests for good? I am all for helping the human race and reaching out to others. I am not, however, going to go search the world for hopelessness and grieve when it exists here in my very own city: Memphis, Tennessee. I want to help women here. Now. 

With that being said, I am no photographer or professional artist by any means, but if you like the paintings, buy one, and the proceeds will be used to provide new make-up to the women of Memphis Family Shelter and surrounding safe-havens for women who have fallen victim to domestic violence. If you have no interest in the paintings (suite yourself), I hope you'll still consider donating and enjoy browsing my photos. I've come across some pretty neat trees here in Memphis and even in other places I visit. So, I capture some photos of them and will be posting them on here along with my paintings, thought the photos are just for viewing.

I hope you all enjoy my journey in kicking off this project that, I'm not going to lie, might be a bigger dream than I can handle. Dream big, right?