Finally!

“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” 

~ Nelson Mandela

Hello there, reader!!! (Or am I merely just echoing into the infinite caverns of the deep, dark interwebs? Anyone reading this besides me?...)

Holla!

…trivial issues aside, let’s get down to business!!! I have been dreaming and speaking of starting my own blog for a while, after becoming a full-blown blog lurker for over a year now.  Some of the first few non-art blogs I stumbled upon and LOVED were Lisa’s, Julie’s, and Kailey’s….check ‘em out, they’re all phenom. Also a big fan of Brittany’s…recognize the art on her header? I may or may not have had something to do with that. ;)

My favorite things about these blogs were how multi-dimensional they were...while they have a focus, they are all so personal and fun and I look forward to reading them everyday.

After stalking many an artist, food, and healthy-living blogger, I’ve been wanting to embark on my own. Coming up with a perfect name has derailed me for quite a while; “Sam Bock Illustration & Design [The Blog!]” is a mouthful and not quite personal/spunky enough, but I needed to roll with a temporary name and just get this thang started!

I decided to finally take the plunge!

Welcome to my life of art, design, drawing, working out, cooking, and playing!

My main focus on the blog was initially to keep myself in the creative frame of mind, as being an artist truly becomes a lifestyle and not just a 9-5 job.

Love this image and list discovered on my friend's GORGEOUS blog, one part gypsy. (via annasheffield)

I plan on posting throwback sketch pictures (Throwback Thursdays, perhaps? With sketchbook scans to share), new freelance projects (I work as a graphic designer with an INCREDIBLE team of some of the most talented and fun guys around during the day, but also have my own illustration and design business where I do fun things like greeting cards, commissioned doggy portraits, business card designs, logos, blog headers for some amazing bloggers, and other fun/random things! Once I get my Etsy shop up and running I will let you know; Christmas 2011 and 2012 card sets will be one sale soon! I also want to do some fun new weekly drawings to keep those creative juices flowin’, and hopefully expose you guys to some cool info about the art world, utilizing other artist blogs and sites that I follow. I wanna give clients an insight to my personality, while hopefully also attracting a more wide and varied audience.

My initial dreams of a cozy little art blog have since opened up to a more general feel. While art is a huge passion of mine, I am realizing that I also have many others that rule my life….dancing, yoga!, and working out (I danced for thirteen years and have aspirations of becoming a fitness intructor one day), cooking healthy (but totally delicious!) foods, so recipes postings are a must, TOTALLY indulging in not-so-healthy foods from time to time (ice cream=calcium, though, right? I can house ice cream like it’s nobody’s business), discovering new restaurants and bars and other fun places (after bein’ born-n-raised in South Jersey, a suburb of Philly, I recently-ish moved back east after a few years in Arizona and am finally starting to really be able to appreciate my home city, where besides going to games my whole life (WADDUP FLYERS, EAGLES, PHILLES?!), I haven’t really been able to explore and enjoy the amazing culture, food, and fun that the city offers up until now. (Now if only I can fully get over my anxiety of finding parking spaces in that crazy city. Okay, I’m learning!!!)

Me and my currently-Bostonian lovebug, Karli

I also have a crazy husky pup named Koda who is WAY full of personality and energy. He will be one year old in October and you better believe I will be throwing that little fluffernutter a rager!!! ;)

Oh, hi!

  A party for ME? New toys and lots of peanut butter for ME?!

Baby Koda helping his mama play Apples to Apples

Like mother, like fluff-son...LOVES ice cream.

Anyone that knows me also knows that my family should be on a reality TV show. What we lack in total functionality, we gain in lots of laughs and love. :)

Standard family outing...the reaction to my grandfather getting locked inside The Cheesecake Factory

Adorable lil' sis Allie and her hilarious boyf, Oscar...funniest two people ever

Sistas with Grandma on her 75th birthday!

Most of my friends live out west (miss you all!), or a few hours away along the East coast (hello, NYC, Boston, and beach towns!), so thank goodness THIS one danced into my life this year (literally!!!):

Life of the partay...

Coop is my hawt boyfriend and my ultimate partner in crime. He also just happens to have some of the best friends around. I’m sure many a shenanigan will be documented on here, too. I figure it will be fun to look back on.

It also helps that he likes my cookin'

Celebrating Gmom's 75th!

There will be plenty of this along the way:

And lots of this:

"If you wanna be my lovah..."

Bad boys in timeout!

So there it is….a little bit about me, and I’m sure with each post you’ll learn a little bit more. Can’t call myself a fully healthy-livin’ blogger, or an art blogger, or a fitness blogger….but who needs a label anyway??

Hope you enjoy this little documentation of my life and passions and you’ll stick around with me as I attempt to develop this lil' thang into something that I am proud of! See you around!