I considered making a fancy graphic with Santa holding a Menorah but I don’t really feel like it. Besides, pictures speak a thousand words and I only want to say the two: Happy Holidays.

By the way, I’m finished with my hell semester and will be giving approximately zero shits about my last five months of high school. So maybe I’ll make new content or something…if I remember how.

I may not have shown my face around here in two months, but I have been on Tumblr nearly every day for therapy. There’s something remarkably calming about Kingdom Hearts gifs and irrelevant, impractical facts. Lawd knows I need to be calmed. But very recently, I had one of my many epiphanies. And as far as epiphanies go, this was a pretty good one. I want to be a web designer. Well, I at least want to get into written or visual communications, which connects…in a way. No brainer, right? Right. I mean, it’s only taken me five years to figure this out.

Long story short, I’ve given myself an excuse to spend more time designing things. Whether or not I actually will, I ain’t makin’ no promises. I still have my AP classes and my big-time client to take care of. But for now, I have managed to make a new Tumblr theme.

Download Code

I was sick of the one on my own page, so I made this. I’m usually selfish and refuse to put layouts up until I’m done with them, but let’s be real here – I won’t change this for months. So here it is, for all to use, two days after I made it for myself. Go for it.

For those of you who do not stalk me, I thought I’d post this quick blog explaining my absence.

I’m taking part in BEDA, Blog Every Day in August, over at my personal blog, Flamora. I’m am also working on two commissions, one of which involves six sites. So, my online time is a little full right now.

I generally don’t like explanations for short absences, but I realized this would be a good way to promote my blog without actually promoting it. So you should visit my blog. Every day. In August. I’ve been told I say interesting things there sometimes.

Ethetica is a blog. No generic resources. No pointless tutorials. No mediocre writings. Just the ramblings of an honest, down-to-earth design student named Liv.

Since I rarely make graphics that require outside resources these days, I’m typically drawn to blog-only or blog-and-portfolio sites. Of course, good ones are hard to come by. I’m picky and I have a dry sense of humor. I find that many of the bloggers I come by either try too hard to dig up “interesting” topics or tap into emotions that I, the generally apathetic girl that I am, cannot comprehend. But I actually feel like I can relate to Liv’s blog. She doesn’t write about popular opinions that teenagers seem to think are unpopular and pretend like she’s written an original masterpiece when she’s finished. She writes about her honest, unpretentious thoughts. I don’t feel as if I’m reading something forced when I read her posts, and that alone is enough to earn someone a feature.

But the main reason I’ve decided to feature Liv’s site is not because of the honesty in her blogs, but the honesty in her comments. Let’s face it – most of us are a little fake in our comments. We’re not super close to every blogger we visit, so we feel uncomfortable criticizing the work they post or disagreeing with what they have to say. Liv, however, always gives me the truth in her comments. When I posted some mediocre sketches and admitted that there were some problems, she was the only one to agree and offer up some advice. Who knows? Maybe everyone else really did think those sketches were great. Still, it’s always nice to hear a differing opinion, and she’s usually the one to give me said opinion.

And, on top of all that, she illustrates. I don’t think it’s any secret that I adore illustration and prefer it above all other digital art forms. I get the vibe that many designers are intimidated by the pen tool, so it’s always pleasant to see a fellow vector artist in this sector of the design world.

Since I don’t always feel like making graphical content, I’ve decided to do the occasional “site spotlight” in between substantial updates. Before I begin posting these, I feel like I should provide a little information on how I’ll be choosing sites.

My main goal is to pick sites that the entire design and blog world doesn’t already know are great, mostly because I think better, lesser known sites out there somewhere. Granted, a promotion on my website isn’t going to help anyone out too much. These spotlights are more of a “Hey, I think you’re marvelous and I want to show my appreciation for what you do even though my opinion doesn’t matter” kind of gesture.

Of course, I’m going to need a little help. I have a couple sites lined up, but sooner or later, I’m going to run out and might not be able to find a site that wows me right away. If you know of as website that amazes the pants off you, comment on this post with the link and I’ll take a careful look at it.

I hope this is statement proves to be unnecessary, but please don’t suggest your own site. If it’s great, just hope someone else suggests it for you.