I want to go swimming and play around on the beach. And this campaign, designed by Ro And Co Studio, merges the bright colors of swimsuit fashion and meshes it with driftwood. The perfect combo, if you ask me. Neon + bright! Plus, the photography is killer. I’m so ready for summer now, aren’t you!?

Aren’t these colors just fabulous. Rue magazine has done a amazing job with the release of their latest online issue. Lots of color, interior sneak peeks and this really great photo shoot showing everything lovely about being by the water. I suggest you stop by the issue to keep reading! Happy Wednesday!

Stop by The Veda House to see what Bre has to show today.

I have a strange fascination with things, especially when they’re photographed so nicely like these! Photography + collections by the lovely Luci Everett.

Oftentimes, when people get photoshop for the first time, they tend to go all out. They have all these layers, shapes, brushes, and fun things at their dispense and it suddenly becomes : “Let’s do everything all at once on this canvas!” Don’t get me wrong, I’m SUCH a big fan of bloggers who make their blog come to life in their own way and think it’s a great asset for serious bloggers. By layering text on top of imagery or adding a couple of fun shapes here and there, your posts become even more visually appealing, when done right.

So consider this my plea : don’t over do it. I know photoshop is exciting and there are SO many resources out there for you to take advantage of, but it breaks my little designer heart every time I see someone do too much in one post. I think this quote, stated by Einstein, says it well : “Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.” When design is done right, there’s not too much or too little. It’s just what it’s supposed to be.

I know this is a hard concept to grasp, for everyone … not just non-designers. Try your best to try new things for one post, and another the next day. Over time, you’ll learn what works best for you and I guarantee that your readers will appreciate it and come back for more.

I’ve been researching branding like none other as of late and Cody Haltom’s work stopped me in my tracks. Presented so cohesively in his portfolio, he has a distinct aesthetic when it comes to logo work. Not only is his eye for typography is spot on, but everything is modern + simple. Two words that I, for one, always love. Digging these!

As I mentioned last week, I’m in the process of evaluating my business + blog and how they interact. It’s official : I will be slowly switching over to branding myself as BREANNA ROSE, not moxee. Within the next month or so, the name moxee will be gone. Don’t worry – I’ll still have everything ( including this blog ), but the name will simply be different. I’ll let you all know exactly what’s going on as it happens.

I also decided to blog in real time about my process. I heard from a LOT of you going through just the same thing … so why not share my thoughts along the way?? First up, you can see my very own moodboard above! All imagery can be found on this pin board of mine with their appropriate sources. I normally have a hard time designing for myself, so I decided to try the exact same process I use with my clients. I set up a pin board for myself and pinned away, following my gut. I let everything I was thinking of fit into that one place and didn’t look at it until I was finished. Turns out, my mind was pretty cohesive in the end. My pins in the beginning were all fairly bright / happy. Then, I noticed that everything began to turn neutral in tone. It’s funny because I think that explains my personality to a TEE. I’m quite a quirky person, but have a solid work ethic and know what I want. It balances the crazy / calm in me.

I want my brand to be reflect myself and embody not only my personality, but how I fit into the design world. I can honestly say that what you’re looking at above feels right. Now … on to the logo! I’ve been working on that behind the scenes for some time and will be showing you all little snippets shortly.

I think it’s safe to say that with 10,000 lakes from Minnesota in front of designer Nicole Meyer, it’s time for a little check in with the latest branded lakes! First of all, being a native to MN, I have to say … there’s a doughnut lake!? Where is it and why have I not been there, is my question. Don’t worry, I’ve already put it on my “go to” list. In all honesty, I love checking in on Nicole’s work. They’re always very modern + simple, which I enjoy most. Keep on lady!

First things first : HAPPY FRIDAY!! Phew, weeks have been flying by as of late, but I can’t complain. Some good great things happened this week, too. I watched all of our snow melt outside and am excited to hear that it’s supposed to reach SIXTY degrees tomorrow. Sixty degrees in MinneSNOWta, folks. That’s amazing! I think I may just have to go swimming ( kidding, but only kind of ). I ate some nummy treats ( go figure ), like fudge cookies, a huge strawberry cupcake, and my own homemade shamrock shake. That shake was minty fresh and the perfect thing at the end of a long work day, let me tell ya.

And finally, I expressed my thoughts about my personal brand + business. I can’t express how eye opening it has been to put that all on the table. I have BIG plans for these upcoming months, but I promise I’m going to take things slow and share my process along the way.