Combobulate: Mullet Issue

COMBOBUL A TE July 2013

Mullet Issue

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: For the summertime issue of Combobulate, we decided to go with a theme that fits the occasion. I am very proud of the result, and I think it will be a great experience for you the reader. This issue did not come without its own share of problems. The working title for this issue was “The Hard Work Issue.” As the issue came together, I decided to crown it the “Mullet Issue.” Like a good mullet it starts with serious work in the front, and begins to move to the party in the back. We also faced some technical difficulties, which caused us a little delay in the release of the issue. We did not let this stop us! As I’ve stated before, this magazine

came from my joy of creating and wanting to share work with you. I wanted to share work with you that would inspire you to create your own work. When I approach artists to be in the pages of Combobulate, I ask them to take a personalized approach. I want them to submit work they would want to see in a magazine. Not only work they like, but work that makes them say, “Hey, that’s my shit right there!” In future issues you can look forward to seeing new artists from around the world in all mediums. I have been able to reach out to many new artists, that I am excited to show you.

Stay tuned!

-Phen

PEOPLE

KATE ZAMBRANO ALIVE. & SELF-TAUGHT

ABOUT KATE Kate Zambrano is an artist with multiple roots. As a self-taught artist, she creates her art from raw emotion utilizing personal techniques. Kate prefers to bring her art to life using charcoals and oils which she uses to produce pieces in the realistic side of surrealism. Much of her work is realistic portraiture with unsettling moods. Inspiration for this work comes from without and within, anything and nothing, whatever form she can draw her muse from without being snared by any individual source.

Two years ago Kate decided to switch careers, but she has no regrets about art as a career. Kate’s support system motivates

her to continue her craft.

Depending on the project’s nature, while painting, Kate likes listening to audiobooks or TV shows with which she’s familiar, such as Dexter. While it is difficult to stanch the creative flow and take a break, Kate finds it an important means for catching up on the processing side of her work. Recently, Kate has begun developing a new body of work which features large-scale pieces for a gallery showing.

FOX 347 Photographer: Blake Fox Athlete: George Fox

PLACES

The Unprofessional Wedding Planner

W/ Maurie Martin

Here comes the bride…and there she goes with her groom in a matter of hours to ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after.

This is how lightning fast months of planning the once-in-a-lifetime event end. In a single day…the chosen color theme has blended into an ugly grayish-brown, the centerpieces have been stolen, there is a stump of cake left in the cake gazebo and the cleanup crew, often times the wedding party and family, who have been drinking since the rehearsal dinner are making the mad dash to throw everything in boxes and exit the venue before the carriage turns into a pumpkin. Whew…catch my breath and sleep for days until my eyes are not seeing flowers, votive candles and table numbers dancing in my head…and then the next one begins.

Mind you, I never imagined myself a professional wedding planner…just one of those girls who used a pillow case as a veil when I was little. As an adult my creative talents have geared itself towards all things wedding: jewelry for the bridesmaids, flower arrangements, table settings, the fung shui of a fabulous appetizer table and every aspect other than marrying the couple. It’s a passion, desire and a need I love to fulfill for friends and anyone who asks for help when doing the… we-are-so-on-a-budgetDIY wedding. I have played every role, other than a bride myself. My experience has been as minimal as wrapping ribbon around bottles for centerpieces and as extensive as planning a wedding from beginning to end with guest lists as small as 100 and over 300…but in the end there is always a bride and groom asking for the most memorable day of their lives.

Planning any part of the wedding can be a harrowing task for an “unprofessional” planner; however, if you keep in mind two important rules, you’ll survive with flying colors and have a great wedding: #1 It’s all about the bride #2 Be flexible #3 It’s all about the bride #4 Be really flexible!

Most of the weddings, the bride has already decided on all aspects of the wedding… that’s where I come in and find the resources and people to help the ideas come to life.

The smartest thing I did was to become friends with a florist and a baker…two very important people in the world of weddings. Luckily, my friends are not joe shmoes in their given field… more an artiste de fleur and conisseur de patisseries. Both work the wedding circuit heavily and have allowed me to barrage them with questions and eek from them which in turn allows me to be better rounded with my repertoire of knowledge. Knowledge is a good thing…learn as much as you can from those who actually make a living doing weddings. If you can, befriend the people that provide a service for weddings, such as the flowers, cake, catering, rentals, seamstress, etc. Encourage the bride to use them as her vendor for their service. The more people you have in your circle the easier it is on the day of the wedding. If you do not know the vendors…get to know them…befriend them and be friendly. They will go out of their way for you just with a smile and some kindness.

Organization…it is pretty much a prerequisite for doing this kind of event…or any event really.

This cannot be stressed enough. No one wants to be the target of a sweet bride turned bridezilla due to a flub up with information. Take notes of every detail presented from the bride, get color samples, vendor lists, names of the wedding party, schedule of the ceremony, thoughts, ideas, copies of the program, flavor of cake, etc.

Spreadsheets and lists should be broken down into each part of the wedding day. Include the ceremony, cocktail hour, reception schedule, cake table, coffee and hot drink table, center pieces and their arrangement, which shops carry what items, cost of each item for the various sections and general supplies needed for the day. Nowadays, everyone has a cell phone which makes a perfect little helper. Take pictures…lots of them. The pictures are an awesome reference tool and great for communicating ideas between you and the bride. To round off your repertoire of

info, the internet can be a superb assistant. There are blogs galore and…my true love…Pinterest…which will lead you to more fabulous blogs. The ideas are overflowing and will mesh together to give you more ideas.

Lastly, meet with your bride several times. This should include visits to the venue which I highly recommend. Being familiar with your surroundings before the wedding can help with stress and jitters of the task ahead of you. Go over notes, make changes and update your spreadsheets. If you have all the elements, put together a reception table setting, play with the arrangement and take a picture. This will allow you to create exactly what the bride has envisioned and you become the hero.

It must be mentioned here too…you cannot do this by yourself. If the bride has not recruited a team to help with set up and tear down then take on the responsibility of rounding up these people. They will be invaluable to you. Set up a schedule and have specific tasks for each person. The best situation is to utilize people the bride and groom knows and have been invited to the wedding… these are people who love them and will be, more than likely, happy to help in any way they can.

My latest triumph was a wedding this past April. The venue was at a horse stable and was so rustic it required DIY for everything. Other than the bouquets, every item used was borrowed or bought by the

bride and she had every detail planned and listed by the time I was asked to be involved. My title was “co”-wedding planner so the credit was shared but since I had done several weddings at this point I was well equipped to take on more responsibility. The larger part of those responsibilities was the...drum roll please, The Appetizer Table. The bride had an idea of what she wanted and I flew with it, created a menu and presented it with anticipation that she would be in love with every idea. In the end she did love it…the in-between was taste testing, price checking and debating on which idea to keep and which to throw out the window. It did turn out ever so lovely…different exotic cheeses, crackers and baguette slices with olive tapenade, figgy spread and strawberry pepper champagne jam (my jam making paid off) to spread all over these little bites of delish. There were grapes and dried fruit to finish off the look, and I must say when it was all put together, I had to pat myself on the back. The oohs and ahhs said it all.

No matter how much walk throughs, and sheets you have, the have its own set of chaos that were not This is where the rule in…in a big way. The been saying sunny we got overcast and heaters on the list of fore, the bridal room which was quite ironic honey was the favor with a label that read Meant to Bee”. The from the room and to God and Mothcame out and the anleast the sun came do forget my own fully, there was my ing me that all would

planning, how many how many spread“day of” will always quirks, mishaps and part of the plan.

“Be flexible” comes weatherman had and 75 degrees… misting…no tents or rentals. The day behad a swarm of bees, since a mini jar of at the bridal shower “Jay and Brittany… bees were omitted after much begging er Nature, the sun gels sang…well at out. Sometimes I rules…but thankco-planner remindbe ok. And it was.

The ceremony was beautiful and I cried like a baby. The different shades of purple the bride had chosen were vibrant under the hanging market lights, the horses stayed mindful of their manners and the reception was one big party. The bride’s dream had come to life and so it was over. The bride and groom left for their hotel, the inebriated wedding party and family members rushed to cleanup and my day was done.

I f ulf ille d my m ission…to help a not her Cinderella ma ke her drea m s come t r ue.

THINGS

WILD FOR THE

NIGHT

BY: MIK E MCDONNELL

TO BE CONTINUED...

f*ck it!